Blood Bond
by The Nutty One
Summary: Set during Midnight Alley. Michael is staked instead of Sam. To save his life, Shane unknowingly performs a Blood Bond. The bond of mates. Slash! BoyxBoy! Michael/Shane
1. Chapter 1

What if Michael was staked instead of Sam? What if only his mate's blood could heal him? What will Shane choose; his freedom and relation with Claire or the life of his best friend?

Set during 'Midnight Alley'.

Blood Bond

His heart sped up and his palms were sweaty. No, this definitely wasn't a dream about Claire. Something seemed…_wrong._ Above him Claire moved slightly. Could she feel this strange sense? Or had the last few months messed with his head? After all, being locked in a cage is sure to do one on you…

Gently he moved Claire over on the sofa, attempting not to wake her. It was no use. As soon as his arm shifted her eyes snapped open and she stared at him with a confused expression. Moments passed before her expression cleared and worry settled in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, panicked. "Shane?"

"I don't know what it is…" he mumbled quietly, rolling off the sofa as he did.

Suddenly sirens sounded around the house. Instantly they froze. It sounded as if they were right outside the house.

Shane heard the hurried foot falls and seconds later Eve stood in front of them, her face pale and free of Goth make-up. Eve didn't wait long, in a speed that could rival a vampires, she dashed to the window and threw open the blinds.

He watched silently, still frozen with shock, as Eve's mouth formed the words 'no, no. no!' repeatedly. Her hands clenched and unclenched. Leaving Claire by the couch, he moved towards Eve.

Pushing her to the side, he peered out of the window. There was a police car parked outside, its siren still blaring. Its headlights illuminated the scene; casting light upon an open maroon sedan. The driver's door was wide open and the windows were blacked out and tinted…

A vampire's car.

"Michael!" Eve screamed at the same time Shane realised Michael wasn't with them. "Oh my God! Where's Michael?" Shane looked back to see Claire looking blindly behind herself as if she expected Michael to turn up behind her. A flicker of panic crossed her mind before she ran towards the door.

But Shane was quicker.

He broke through the gate at the fence, and ran towards the crime scene. Immediately he felt arms around him. It was only when he felt his body being slammed onto the hood of a car did he realise that it the police. Just great…

"Shane! Dammit, Shane! Calm down! This is a crime scene; you can't just go running around!" It was Richard Morrell.

Out of his eye corner he saw Claire and another policeman who he didn't recognise. He watched silently – maybe he'd be released quicker? – as the policeman shone a torch down on a body. The light flickered but it was enough for him to see.

It was a vampire. A stake protruded from its chest and it shook silently on the floor. Blue eyes were wide open in shock and pain. Blood ran from its mouth and into matted blonde hair.

Michael.

Shane couldn't believe it. That was his best friend there, pale and white and barely breathing. Yes, he hated him for becoming a vampire. But he still wouldn't wish it upon him. Images flashed through his mind: their confrontation when Shane himself had almost staked Michael, the rude comments about garlic and crosses. He suddenly became hyperaware of the silver cross that pressed against his chest…

"Release the boy!" A sharp voice that was neither Claire's nor Eve's shouted. "Everybody, leave!" commanded the voice. It was definitely female.

As if Richard Morrell had been burned, he let go of Shane. Shocked, Shane stood up slowly, his eyes scanning the scene until they locked onto Amelie. So, it was her. That was never a good sign. Minutes passed and the siren came to a choking stop and slowly the police, both vampire and human, departed the scene.

Amelie beckoned towards Shane. As if he had no control over his body, Shane moved forward. The more he moved, the more he could see. Michael looked dead. Not as in vampire-dead…but dead dead. As in the 'I-aren't-coming-back-dead'. His body shook with spasms and the stake quivered in his stomach. Blood oozed from his mouth and trickled onto the pavement. Gasps of pain escaped his mouth and his eyes were wide, pained and terrified.

This wasn't the Michael he was used to seeing.

"We need to move him," Amelie spoke slowly as if she could sense the rising sun. Deadly fingers of warmth crept across the pavement, chasing away the shadows. Shane shivered when they touched his skin.

When they touched Michael's skin, his skin began to sizzle and crack, blistering instantly. Forgetting all prejudice against his friend, Shane grasped Michael's ankles and, ignoring the screams of pain, pulled him into the shadows of the house.

Claire followed soundlessly. A patter of bare feet ran around the side of the house. Raising his head, Shane met the panicked and distraught face of Eve. When she reached them, she collapsed in a fit of sobs, her hands blindly reaching for Michael's cold ones. Claire shook her head and wrapped her arms around the other girl, silently letting her own tears out.

"We have to act fast otherwise you will lose him forever," Amelie murmured quickly. "I am not strong enough to save him myself. He needs blood. His mate's blood."

"Vampires have mates?" Claire spoke up, stealing Shane's question.

"Yes, we spend centuries of our lives searching for them."

"Here," Eve offered his wrist out without thought. "He can have mine. He can have as much as he needs."

"Do you know what you are getting into, child?" asked Amelie, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, I've read about the strength of a mate's bond." Shane watched, transfixed, as Eve reached into her bathrobe pocket and pulled out a small vegetable knife. Around them time seemed to stop as Eve slowly sliced the palm of her hand open.

Red blood quickly welled up and spilled out of the cut. Rivers ran over her palm and created a bloody network of patterns.

Shane saw Michael stiffen and his eyes become pale. So this was it. This was the real vampire that Michael tried to hide.

Eve moved forward slowly, shaking off Claire's hand as she did. She slowly raised her hand to Michael's lips and allowed a few droplets of blood to fall onto his parted lips.

Instantly Michael growled a low and warning sound. His cold blue eyes were fixed on Shane's face and his snake-like fangs slowly slid into place. So quick Shane almost missed it, Amelie had Eve's hand in a vice like grip.

"You stupid girl! You are not his mate!" she snarled, throwing Eve's hand away from her.

But Shane's eyes had never left Michael's. His heart was beating quicker and his palms were soaked in sweat. He didn't like the feverish hunger that lingered in Michael's eyes. It wasn't natural…even for a vampire. Shane crawled backwards, shaking his head as he did. Again Michael's eyes followed him and he liked his lips hungrily.

Claire's quick eyes locked on his movements. For a few seconds a calculating look crossed her face before she gasped in shock. She silently motioned between Shane and Michael, her mouth wide open. "It's you, isn't it? You're Michael's mate."

Hearing her say it out loud crushed all hope Shane had. He couldn't be Michael's mate, it just wasn't possible! Shane stood quickly. He backed away into the sunlight where he was safe from at least one vampire.

"Shane! Please!" Eve begged as she continued to try and stem the bleeding of her palm. "You can't let him die!"

Eve was right. No matter what Michael was, he was still Shane's best friend. Taking a deep breath, he moved back into the shadows. One little bit of his blood wouldn't change anything, right?

Without much thought of what he was going to do, Shane picked up the vegetable knife. It was still glistening with Eve's blood. With shaking hands he cleaned it against his night clothes. With quick skilful hands, he cut his own palm.

As soon as the cut was made, Michael growled loudly. It wasn't a warning; more of a possessive growl and instantly Amelie moved backwards. She motioned for Claire and Eve to follow suit.

Michael's eyes locked with his and a strange feeling washed over Shane. It was a good feeling, yet it didn't belong. He was happy he was doing this. He could almost say that it pleased him. Seeing the hopeful but hungry look in Michael's eyes drove him to press his palm to Michael's lips.

At first Michael lapped slowly at the blood, his tongue making shivers run through Shane's body. Fangs hastily sunk into Shane's wrist. But it didn't help. If anything the feeling of pleasure intensified. Shane could feel his blood being pulled from his body. He could feel the way Michael's lips would tense around his wrist when he swallowed. He could feel Michael's hands holding him steady, holding him tenderly.

On his own will, Shane began to relax against Michael's body.

In a hazy part of his mind, he could hear Amelie talking to Claire and Eve but he wasn't listening much.

"…Sacred bond…yes, it's like this every time…if you try to come between it…kill you."

"The stake," spoke Michael for the first time. "Take it out, please, it hurts." His voice was weak but at least he was speaking.

Another set of hands joined Shane's. They wrapped around the stake, but as soon as Michael noticed he yanked his fangs from Shane's wrist. His eyes were pale and animalistic and he snarled inhumanly at Claire.

She backed away quickly.

Shane watched as Michael's pale tongue licked the stray droplets of his own blood from the corners of his mouth. "Now, please, Shane."

And Shane pulled the stake out.

Michael has passed out as soon as the stake had been removed. Amelie had helped Shane move him into the house though his skin burned when he went through the light. Shane laid Michael down on his own neatly made bed and pulled the covers over him. Gently he brushed Michael's mattered blonde hair out of his eyes.

He moved through the house quickly before he came to the lounge. Amelie was sat in the chair where Michael usually sat. A strange wave of annoyance washed over Shane. That was Michael's chair; she shouldn't be sat there. But he held his tongue. Only just.

Eve was still crying and she and Claire were curled up on the couch. Deciding to lean against the wall, Shane waited for Amelie to begin.

"Thank you…" she trailed off.

"Shane," he offered helpfully.

"Thank you, Shane," she repeated. "Michael will surely thank you enough when he awakes." Amelie had a knowing smile on her face, one that Shane didn't trust.

"What did you mean when you talked about a vampire's mate?" Eve snivelled from the couch. "Shouldn't I have been Michael's mate?"

"Vampire's change," Amelie said sharply, her eyes cold. "Shane is Michael's mate whether he likes it or not."

"What does that mean though?" Shane asked, confused about the whole thing. What were those feelings he felt when Michael drank from him? Shouldn't he feel disgusted? How could he enjoy such an act?

"You are his mate. The one he will seek comfort from. The one he will always seek to court." The use of her words made Shane thing back to the Victorian era. So it was going to be like that…

"He will need your blood twice a week if he is to maintain good health. Michael won't allow you to be with anyone else. For the first few months, while the bond is fresh, I suggest that Eve and Claire leave the house, he will not tolerate anyone being around you."

"They're not leaving because of some stupid bond!" Shane shouted, instantly regretting when he saw the look of anger flash across Amelie's face.

"He will need you. He is a young vampire. He will depend on you for blood like an infant depends on its parents. Michael will become possessive and if you try to run he will follow you. He won't allow you to be with anyone else. The way he sees it, is you are his. Michael won't allow _anyone_"- she looked at Eve in particular – "to try and break the bond. He will kill them without a second thought."

Shane looked over to see Claire's pale face. So it was the end of Claire and him. Michael be damned! He wasn't going to break away from Claire because of a stupid bond. "I've sold my freedom haven't I? I won't be able to be with anyone but him…" Shane whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Amelie spoke again and her words ended Shane's hope. "No, you will be with Michael. As for your freedom, it depends on how you treat him. Go behind his back and he won't let you out of his sight. Stay true to him and he'll become less dependent on you. Either way, it's your choice."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shane stared dumbly at Amelie. So this was it. He was stuck with Michael unless he wanted to risk Claire's life and lose his freedom at the same time. If he had known that before he fed Michael his blood, then Shane doubted he would have done it. Friend or not; he didn't want to be bonded with a vampire in any shape or form. This was worse than the beatings from his dad. At least he could run from those or fight back, but now…now he was stuck. There was no way out.

There was a sharp knock on the door. Shane flinched slightly at the noise but didn't show any other emotion. Eve or Claire could always answer it.

As he thought over the consequences to the bond, Shane felt his knees buckle. Not caring how he looked, he slid down the wall with his head in his hands. He couldn't do anything. "Why me?" he muttered to himself.

"You should be happy," Amelie's voice was quiet and she walked over to rest her hand on his shoulder. "Michael will give you everything you need, everything you could ever want. He'll never cheat on you; he'll always stay by your side no matter what you do."

Shane looked up hesitantly. His subconscious noted that both Eve and Claire had gone to open the door. At least they hadn't heard or saw anything. "But I love Claire."

"Claire is young. She will move on… You were losing her anyway. She's kept secrets from you and you've kept them from her. It was only time…" she trailed off before she stood. "Now hold your head high. Not everyone is the mate of a vampire. You should be proud of yourself."

He still couldn't bring himself to think of the good things he could get out the bond. To Shane there were no good prospects to it no matter which way he looked at it. But there was no escape. He was trapped with it; trapped in a lethal relationship with a vampire. Surely Michael would end up slipping and biting him? Drinking too much from him? It was inevitable…

Shane heard the front door slam shoot and he picked himself up off the floor. He had to stay strong. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. Sitting down on a chair near Amelie, they waited for Claire and Eve to bring their visitor up the stairs.

Moments later Shane saw a flash of red hair and pale skin. He sighed. Sam. He should have known. Michael was his Grandson; he was hardly going to leave him injured and confused.

"I heard about it," he began, his skin slightly red from the sun. "How is he? Can I see him?"

Even though Sam meant good, Shane couldn't help the flash of anger and annoyance that went through him. Sam shouldn't be able to see Michael. Michael was his-

Shane stopped abruptly. That thought couldn't have been his own. Yet it was his own. But he couldn't have thought that towards Michael! Hell, it was Michael! A vampire! Shane shook his head in an attempt to clear his crazy thoughts. They weren't normal. They were far from normal.

Amelie saw Shane shaking his head and she smiled knowingly. _Could she read minds?_ Shane thought sarcastically. But the way she was looking at him made him wonder if she could… God that would be creepy…to have someone in his mind who he didn't want there…

He was momentarily side-tracked.

In that time, Amelie had started to tell Sam about what had happened and they were quickly murmuring to each other.

He moved quietly over to Eve and Claire. As he neared, Claire raised her head and he could see the tear tracks down her face. She glared at him. The look cut through his defences like a knife. She hated him. And Eve? He didn't even want to think about how Eve felt towards him. The fact that she wasn't Michael's mate would be bad enough, the fact that Michael's mate was a guy, and Shane at that, would make it worse.

Offering her a weak smile, he walked away with his head bowed. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

Hours passed and Shane sat alone watching the sun dip behind the horizon. Five hours since Michael had been staked. Five hours of Shane's new life had slowly trickled away. He grimaced at the thought.

He had become accustomed to Eve's sobbing and the small whisperings of Amelie and Sam so he was shocked when everything became silent.

It was only for a second.

"Sam!" Amelie shouted; her voice icy and steel-like.

A fraction of a second passed before the living room door was smashed and growls filled the small space. Claire and Eve shrieked and backed into the nearest corner. Two white smudges wrestled on the floor, too quick for Shane's eyes to follow. Snarls and growls came from the two vampire's throats.

He knew who the second vampire was. Michael. He was bonded to that…that snarling, growling beast. Shane shook his head quickly, backing away to the nearest wall. His hand reached blindly for anything wooden. Even a pencil would help… instead his hand wrapped around the cord for the blinds. It would be better than nothing.

His palms were sweaty and his heartbeat was racing. Shallow pants came from his parted lips as he continued to watch the two vampires on the floor. Shane's vision began to swim before his eyes. Images of a vampire Michael flashed through his mind: snake-like fangs, cold, hungry eyes, pale skin…the blood on his lips. It was all too much.

"Michael! Stop it! You're scaring him!" Sam's voice was as sharp as a knife and he cut through Michael's growls instantly.

All snarling and growling stopped but Shane stayed where he was. From where he was stood, by the window, he could see that Sam had Michael pinned beneath him. Neither vampire looked human. They still looked deranged and savage.

"That's it. Calm down," soothed Sam but he still kept hold of Michael.

Shane could see Michael struggling beneath Sam. They weren't as violent as before but he wasn't laying still either. Shane could feel his breathing slowing down but he didn't let go of the chord in his hand. It was the only protection he had…

"Where is he?" Michael's voice was worried and if Shane listened hard enough he could hear a slight panicked tone hidden behind it. "Where's Shane?" Michael tried to buck Sam off but it didn't work.

"He's behind me. If you calm down you can see him." At Sam's words Michael tried to crane his neck around Sam's shoulder. Judging by the look on his face, panicked and worried, he hadn't seen Shane.

Slowly Shane moved forward, the chord still in his hand. He wasn't letting go of it. He needed something to protect himself with in case Michael went mental again.

When Michael's expression calmed, Shane knew he had seen him. His fangs slowly retracted and his eyes became less animalistic. "Shane," he called, struggling under Sam. "Don't…don't be scared. It's me, Michael…"

The more Michael struggled, the more Shane moved back towards the window.

"Let Michael go," Amelie said confidently. "We shouldn't be interfering with the bonding process." She stood to leave and motioned for Claire and Eve to do the same. "You won't be living here," Amelie said to them. "It's too dangerous, you're coming with us."

"No!" Shane screamed, nearly releasing his grip on the chord. "You can't leave me alone with _him!_ He'll kill me! Please, don't make them leave."

He didn't see the look of hurt flash across Michael's face. "I won't hurt you, Shane…" he said meekly as if he didn't believe his own words. Truth behold, Shane didn't trust them either.

"No, we will leave," she said, her tone leaving no room for arguments. Without a backward glance, Claire walked out of the Glass house with Eve hot on her heels. Shane daren't move his eyes from Sam or Michael so he couldn't be sure if he saw Eve's sad, sympathetic smile. Seconds passed before he heard Amelie's shout. A fraction of a second later and he was alone in the room. With a vampire.

Shane was startled when Michael stood up quickly. Realising his mistake, Michael averted is gaze from Shane's. "I won't hurt you." Michael repeated his gaze soft.

"I don't want this, Michael. I don't want to be bonded with you. I want my life back," Shane whispered, part of him aching when he saw the pain flash through Michael's eyes.

But he covered the hurt with a mask of indifference. In response Shane tightened his grip on the chord. "No, you can't leave me. I won't let you…" Michael's words were marred with a growl. He began to take a step forward. When Shane saw him disappear into a white blur, he yanked the chord.

Sunlight lit up the room. Groans of agony sounded around the room. As much as he hated to do it, Shane didn't feel bad about literally frying Michael alive. If it kept him away from him then he would do it…

Michael flashed passed him and into the shade of the kitchen. He panted against the door, his pale skin red and raw looking. His fangs had slipped down once more on instinct. Shane almost felt bad when he saw Michael's shirt staining a dark red from the wound to his stomach. But at least he was safe…until the sun went down.

Michael looked at him with pleading eyes and when Shane looked at him he could feel the edges of his mind going soft. If he let Michael compel him then everything would be so much easier… Shane slapped himself hard around the face. No! He wouldn't let Michael do that. Across the room Michael looked pained when he heard the slap of Shane's skin.

Sitting down in the sunlight with his legs crossed, Shane ran through the plans in his mind. He could always jump out the window. But even then he doubted he would make it. Michael would no doubt brave the sun light and just pull him back. And if he didn't…it was a two story drop. Michael would only find him when the sun went down. He could always stake Michael. A sharp pain in his heart made him double over at the thought. So that was out of the picture…

"Shane," Michael's voice cut through his thoughts. It sounded so nice to hear Michael say his name – No! How could he think such things? "Please, I won't hurt you. I won't come near you if you want. Just, please, shut the blinds."

Instead Shane skipped Michael's question. "What do you want from me?" His voice was weak. He hadn't eaten or drank anything all day, and coupled with the shock and blood loss from this morning it was a recipe for disaster.

"Everything," Michael murmured, his crystal blue eyes following Shane.

Hearing Michael's words made Shane feel faint. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Blackness crept around the edges of his mind. He fought for consciousness but he was fighting a losing battle. Moments later, Shane sagged against the wall unconscious.

"If you'll let me that is," Michael finished sadly, watching his mate fall to the floor.

Shane woke up feeling content. His sleep had been free of nightmares for the first time in years. He'd have to continue to put his pillow in the freezer… Since when did he put his pillow in the freezer? Suddenly his eyes snapped open. This couldn't be true…. It couldn't be happening.

His back was against an ice block (a very comfy ice block). A cold, white arm was thrown across his body, keeping him in place. There was no heartbeat from the chest behind him but the silence was soothing. He couldn't believe he was thinking these things…but his head hurt too much to try and stop them.

At least he knew where he was. It was Michael's room. Everything was too tidy for his own room.

The cold arms constricted around his body while Michael mumbled something in his sleep. Moving against the cold arms, Shane managed to silently move Michael's arm off his body. Maybe he could run now?

"Where do you think you're going?" A sleepy voice asked, pulling Shane close once again. So much for that idea…

"I…I…I…" Shane stuttered. Michael was so cold. "I need the toilet." Behind him Michael grumbled but lifted his arm slowly. Instantly Shane stood up, pausing as he did. He was in his night clothes… Clean ones. Had Michael undressed him? Shane wasn't a prude by no means but having a vampire – who was hell bent on having Shane as his mate – see him naked was a different thing. He felt a blush rise on his cheeks.

"God," Michael moaned from the bed, his cool blue eyes locked on Shane. "Don't blush, it makes it so much harder to resist."

Shane bolted.

He was panting when he reached the bathroom. Locking the door as soon as he had shut it, he stared at himself in the mirror. He had a serious bed head but he wasn't bothered over that. It was the least of his worries.

Running the water into the sink, he cupped his hands full of water and feverishly washed his face with the water. Glancing back up in the mirror, he took in his wide eyes. God, he wasn't normally this spooked by things. Perhaps it was because it solely focused on himself? Either way, Shane didn't like it.

His shoulders drooped and shook. No, he wouldn't cry. He wouldn't let Michael win.

He would learn to love Michael. He had to. Otherwise he would lose his sanity.

Drying his face on the nearest towel, he prepared himself both mentally and physically. He could do this. He would have to.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shane sat uncomfortably on the couch. Across the room Michael sat reading the newspaper in his own chair, the one Amelie had occupied hours earlier. Michael had changed out of his bloodied clothes and into a pair of blue jeans and an oversized hoodie. Did vampires need comfort clothes too? Whereas Shane still sat in his night clothes, reluctant to go change when a possessive vampire could barge into his room at any given moment.

They had been sat like this for an hour. When Shane had left the bathroom he had found Michael already dressed and sat reading the newspaper like he was an ordinary human. Staying as far away from him as he could, Shane had chosen the couch furthest away. Michael didn't seem to notice.

To pass the time, Shane found himself studying Michael. Again, if Michael noticed, he never said anything. His crystal blue eyes would quickly skim the pages of the newspaper, occasionally stopped to look at something in more detail. His hands had recovered from the minor burns and were now as pale as snow. Somehow he had managed to clean himself from his own blood and now his face was clean and flawless; perfect even.

Shane grew queasy at the thought of Michael as flawless. It just wasn't right. But even so… He felt himself flush at the thought. Instinctively he glanced at Michael to see for any changes. Michael's hands had tensed but that was all. He might just live through the day after all.

He bit his lip as his stomach growled. Across the room he heard Michael chuckle quietly to himself but he didn't move. And Michael was sat by the kitchen door. That would mean going near him; within an arm's length of touching him. No, he'd hold out as long as he could. But…he really was hungry. He could practically imagine the cookies calling to him…

Shane stood abruptly. He wasn't going to be held captive in his own home. Walking over to the kitchen door, he ignored Michael when he smiled to himself. Fuck him. In fact, no, don't fuck him. That would be giving into him. Oh God! He couldn't even swear at the guy without it sounding bad! Shane focused on the door to the kitchen. He wouldn't look at Michael, he couldn't.

A sigh escaped him when he shut the kitchen door behind him. Safe. Or in a different room at least. Opening the cupboards, Shane quickly found what he was looking for. Double chocolate chip cookies, they were _almost _as good as his chilli. Taking a handful, he began to eat them. They were heaven to his starving stomach.

Suddenly cold arms snaked around his waist.

He froze. The biscuit he was holding fell from his hand, only for a white blur to catch it and hold it steady for him. Shane focused on the trees outside to prevent himself from panicking. It was only Michael. It was only a vampire.

Quickly, he grabbed the closest thing. He knew Michael had noticed but he still didn't release his grip on the weapon. It was a wooden spoon. The one he used for making chilli.

"What are you doing here?" Shane was pleased when his voice stayed calm.

Michael didn't say anything for a few seconds. "I just want to be close to you. Is that so bad?"

"Yes. Yes it is." Shane didn't look in the window to see Michael's reaction. Did they even have reflections? They had to have them. Otherwise how would they do their hair? Or shave? Did vampires even have to shave? He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Why don't you leave me alone?"

Michael placed the forgotten cookie back on the counter. "Because you're my mate," he said as if it explained everything. "I don't want to leave you alone. I _can't _leave you alone. You attract too much danger," Michael joked lightly. His arms loosened their grip on Shane's waist and he saw his chance.

Taking Michael by surprise, he ducked out of his arms and backed himself into a corner, holding the wooden spoon in front of him. "Yeah, like you. Can't attract a worse fate than you, can I?"

He watched as Michael's face twisted in pain as if Shane had staked him. "You don't mean that," denied Michael, shaking his head furiously. "No, you don't," he whispered with pleading eyes.

A fire of anger suddenly ran through Shane's veins. He refused to be treated like a piece of meat. He refused to be Michael's personal blood bag. He wanted his own life. He wanted Claire back, and most of all, he wanted the stupid bond to go. "I do, Michael! I want you to leave me the fuck alone!"

Again Michael shook his head. He took a step towards Shane hesitantly. "Calm down, you don't mean this…" His voice was calm and soft, soothing.

The wooden spoon shook in Shane's hands. He was confused and if he had to admit it…scared. Yes, Shane Collins was scared. "Yes – yes I do!" Shane's eyes were wide and panicked. Michael took another step towards him. "Don't come near me! Please don't come near me!" Shane brandished the wooden spoon in front of him. The tip of the handle was slightly pointed… Would it be sharp enough to use as a stake?

Michael came closer once more. "Or what?" He wasn't taunting Shane. Instead his voice was steady and soothing. Waves of calmness rolled over Shane and he allowed them to. Everything was easier that way.

"I'll…I'll hurt you…" Quivers cracked Shane's voice.

"With a spoon?" asked Michael, one blonde eyebrow raised sceptically, his tone laced with humour. He saw the fire die in Shane's eyes. Slowly Shane lowered his hand and let the wooden spoon fall to the floor. His eyes never left the calming blue eyes of Michael. When Michael moved towards him, Shane didn't move. All fight had left him.

Gentle hands picked the wooden spoon up and placed it on the kitchen counter. Shane found himself not caring about what would happen. He was just so lost. Everything had changed so quickly.

Once more he felt arms wrap around him. He stood there and let Michael hug him, it was a small comfort. The coldness enveloped him: made him feel safe, secure and…loved? He was aware of Michael's ice cold breath on his neck. He was aware that Michael was centimetres away from his neck. He was aware that he was in the embrace of a vampire. He was aware of everything.

And he didn't care.

A week had passed since the last incident. Despite what Amelie had said Michael hadn't fed from him despite his injuries. He should have fed from him at least once already. Deep down, Shane was secretly pleased at the fact. The thought of Michael drinking his blood still gave him the heebie-jeebies. But Shane wasn't stupid. He knew what was coming.

Michael would need his blood, and soon. His skin had taken on a greyish tint and he snapped more. Not at Shane directly, but whenever he would speak he didn't joke nor did he sound calm. He was agitated and fidgeted a lot. Shane also saw a lot more of Michael's canine teeth. Whenever Shane went near him (he didn't go too near) he would see Michael's fangs slide down. Michael would insist that it wasn't because of Shane's blood. But seeing the pain in his eyes; Shane knew better. He wasn't stupid.

"Michael?" Shane cleared his throat and swallowed thickly. "How long has it been since you…you know…ate anything?" It was easier to say it like that. It sounded normal. Whenever Shane thought of Michael and blood in the same sentence he would automatically call it his Sunday Dinner. Sick and twisted he knew. But it helped him cope with the aspect.

A small smile blossomed on Michael's face. It was the first time Shane had addressed Michael since the start of the bond. "Ate? The last time was this morning."

Shane shook his head slowly at Michael's confused expression. "No, I meant…you know…" He couldn't bring himself to say 'blood'. Instead he did a fang motion to the side of his neck. Probably not the best thing to do…

"Oh…that…" Michael trailed off, his expression going blank as he thought. "A week ago, when I was…staked…" Shane had noticed that Michael found it hard to talk about the attack.

Again Shane swallowed and he couldn't meet Michael's eyes. "It's just…Amelie said that you had to…" He did the fang motion to his neck again. "Twice a week to stay healthy."

"Are you offering?" Michael said. He began to casually fold away the newspaper.

Shane couldn't say the words. Instead he simply nodded his head. His heart beat was quick and he was sure Michael could hear it. How could he not? Any moment now and Shane was going to drop dead from a heart attack.

Slowly Michael began to walk towards him. "Lay down on the couch," he instructed.

Following his instructions, Shane laid down. His hands shook slightly but he balled them into fists. He had to get used to this.

"Are you sure?" Michael asked as he watched Shane bare his neck. He felt a wave of pride go through his body as he looked down at Shane. The boy really was something. Strong muscles rippled under the sleep shirt and his chocolate brown eyes captivated Michael. There was so much depth to them. "I'll take it from your wrist." Seeing Shane's frown he explained, "I'll drink for your neck when we bond. Fully bond. Everybody will know your mine, and mine alone." A possessive growl had entered his voice part way through his speech. He quickly stopped it when he saw the flash of fear in Shane's eyes.

"Here then," Shane offered his wrist. He chose not to dwell on the 'fully bond' part that Michael had spoken of. Michael's tongue snaked out between his lips, licking them. For a moment Shane saw the blinding whiteness of Michael's teeth.

Michael knelt down by Shane's offered wrist. Shane looked on as Michael bent his head to his wrist. He felt Michael's soft tongue massaging the skin on his wrist. It felt so nice. So soothing. So _right_. He barely noticed when Michael's fangs sunk into his wrist. He was just aware of the feelings of pleasure running through his body. Every nerve seemed alive with electricity.

Small whimpers of pleasure left Michael's lips as he continued to suckle from Shane's wrist. His blonde hair covered most of his face and his eyes were closed. Shane relaxed against the couch and he too closed his eyes. He let the noises Michael was making surround him.

He could feel Michael's lips around his wrist and his teeth nipped at his skin. He could feel the pull of his blood leaving his body. He could feel one of Michael's hands holding his wrist tenderly while the other trailed over Shane's covered chest. He didn't care. It was too good to care. It was dangerous, erotic and downright arousing.

Beside him, Michael shifted and then he was on top of Shane. Skilful fingers tore the night shirt away. Shane opened his eyes when he felt his chest become exposed to the cool air. He didn't want to stop Michael. It simply felt too good. For the first time in the week, all thoughts of Claire left his mind.

Michael's lips trailed along his fore arm, leaving bloody kisses and occasionally nipping at the skin. His rough hands trailed over Shane's flushed skin. For a second Michael paused. Shane watched him with parted lips as Michael raked his eyes over his body. Whatever it was that he saw, he liked it.

At a human pace, Michael's lips met Shane's in a passionate kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance. They were like ice and fire. Slowly Michael began to gain the upper hand and Shane relented. He allowed Michael's icy tongue to plunder his mouth, revelling in the contrasting heat. He could taste his own blood on Michael's tongue but it didn't faze him. In fact, it turned him on even more. The thought of Michael drinking from anyone else sent waves of jealousy crashing over him. No, Michael had to drink for him. And him alone.

Reluctantly, Michael broke away and flipped their positions so Shane was on top. The sudden change and blood loss made Shane's head spin. He stared blankly at Michael while his vision swam. When the Vertigo had passed, he looked down at Michael. His cheeks were flushed and his skin was back to its usual whiteness. His blue eyes were alight with happiness and acceptance. Was this part of the bonding?

Underneath him, he was suddenly aware of Michael's cold arousal. Shane bit his tongue to stop himself form blushing. He's never done that to a guy before. Well, before this he'd never actually wanted to do that to a guy. But the fact that he had done it to Michael…the thought was exhilarating.

Strong arms wrapped around him. "You should sleep," Michael said softly. "I'll make sure to have some food ready when you wake."

"But…you…don't you..?" Shane didn't know how to word Michael's problem.

Thankfully Michael got the hint. "Don't worry about me. I've got you here and that's all that matters." He rolled over so Shane was trapped between the couch and Michael. It didn't take too long for Shane to drift off to sleep. He was a heavy sleeper anyway.

Sometime through his sleep, he was aware of Michael leaving him. Seconds later he heard Michael's bedroom door lock… A few minutes passed before he was once again wrapped in a cold embrace.

**Hey up! My first authors note! Oh the joy haha. Anyways, I was wondering if you could post your opinion on Blood Bond. Just a simple 'this is good' or 'this is awful, be quite you strange woman' will suffice. All I want to know is if someone out there is actually enjoying this. **

** Oh! Almost forgot! Would you like Shane to give in to Michael quickly? Or do you want him to put up a fight? **

** Thanks for reading! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Hey, Shane? Is Michael out?" Shane startled when he heard Eve's voice from outside the door. It had been over a week since he'd had any other outside communication besides Michael. The vampire would always bring up an excuse if Shane wanted to go out. He'd never directly threatened Shane, but he knew Michael would if he had to.

"Yeah he's out. Why?" he shouted back from the top of the stairs.

"I want to visit you! Is that such a bad thing?"

Shane unlocked the door and slid back the dead bolt. He fumbled with the handle for a moment before swinging open the door to greet her.

Eve hadn't changed…at all. Her face was still the gothic pale shade he had come to expect and her lips were decorated in a dark lip gloss. Her hair was up in two pigtails but her clothes didn't match. She'd clearly hurried here. "Can I come in?" she asked impatiently.

To be honest, Shane had forgotten that when she left the house she would have to be invited in again. It just seemed too weird. Eve had lived with them once upon a time. "Err…yeah." He moved out of her way as she stepped over the threshold.

"God, it's so good to see you! You don't know how worried I've been!" She threw herself at Shane with her arms wrapped around him. Seconds passed before she realised what she's done. "Sorry about that…it's just so – so overwhelming I guess."

Shane grinned. "Don't worry. It's good to have company other than Michael."

"So, have you two done the deed yet?" Eve said, clapping her hands together as she walked up the stairs.

Behind her, Shane stumbled and coughed loudly. "What?"

"You, know. Have you done the hump-de-hump yet?" She turned around on the steps. "Cause when you do, can I watch? I mean, that would be so hot…" she hummed to herself.

Shane barely controlled himself from dying on the spot. How could she this that was hot? Girls…he really didn't understand them much… "What makes you say that?" They were in the living room now and Eve curled up on the couch like she had always lived there. Which, in a strange way, was true.

"Well you know how he gets. You should have seen the look in his eyes when he saw you! Oh, wait, you did… Anyways, I'm surprised he hasn't pounded you into the mattress!" Eve trailed off, trapped in her own little fantasy.

Shane frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. "Hey! What makes you think he's going to be the one doing the pounding?" Damn…he'd forgotten to mention the part where it wasn't going to happen…period.

"Oh come off it!" she joked, a smirk on her lips. "He's a vampire, he's hardly gonna let you top him."

"What's being a vampire got to do with anything?"

"Shane, he's possessive of you! He wants you! Trust me when I say, he isn't gonna wait long. Make him wait any longer and he'll end up jumping you…and you'll forget to phone me when it happens!" Eve squealed, a sound that Shane had never heard her make before. She must have noticed him blushing scarlet for her changed the subject. "So, how are you and Michael?"

"He's a jerk!" Shane said, the past few nights coming back in full force. "I go to sleep in my own bed, and I wake up in his! How the fuck does that happen?"

Eve shrugged her shoulders slowly. For a moment they sat in silence before she said. "There's something you could do, you know. Have you got any holy water?"

Moments later Shane stood outside his bedroom door with a bottle of holy water in his hand. "All I have to do is spray this on my door?" Doubt laced his voice and Shane looked at Eve as if she'd grown a second head. "Are you sure this will keep him out? It's not going to call to him or turn him on or anything like that?"

"Not what I know of. Just don't come out of your room for like, ten years or something cause he's gonna be real pissed with you when he finds out."

"All the more reason," Shane muttered. Squeezing the bottle, he smiled as the water hit his door. This would teach Michael to intrude on his room. Maybe he should start having a bath in the stuff? The water trickled down the door, leaving a network of patterns before it seemed to be absorbed into the wood. Strange…

"Final adjustments," Eve muttered as she reached for the silver cross around Shane's neck. She grabbed it before Shane could do anything, and with a hard tug the chord snapped. Retying the chord, Eve hung it on the door handle. "There we go. No more waking up in the arms of a vampire and wondering what happened the night before." She winked at Shane before returning to the living room.

They continued to chat about everything and anything. Neither of them spoke about Claire or Michael. It was just like good times. Until the front door slammed shut.

Eve watched as Shane paled in front of her. Little gasps of 'oh shit' left his parted lips. They heard the intruder's stealthy footsteps on the stairs. About mid-way the footsteps stopped. A small growl came from the vampire on the stair case and then all Shane heard was the quiet _whoosh_ as it ran at an inhuman pace.

Michael appeared in front of Shane, his fangs bared. "What's she doing here?" His words were marred with a sharp snarl. His pale blue eyes flickered between Eve and Shane, not knowing who to look at. "What's she doing here?" He repeated, taking a step towards Eve.

Shane knew he had to do something. He couldn't let Michael push him around like this. "She's here because I wanted her here." He said, his eyes never leaving Michael's. His heart stuttered a bit when Michael turned his steely gaze towards Shane.

"What have you been doing with her? Her scents all over you!" Shane could clearly see the vampire in Michael. There was nothing human about the thing in front of him. No matter which way he looked, Shane couldn't see any traces of the old Michael.

"Are you trying to say something?" Shane argued back, his eyes fierce as he looked up towards Michael. So what if he was a few inches shorter. Michael could go fuck himself if he thought that Shane was going to let him rule his life.

Again Michael growled, this one more threatening than all the others before it. "You're mine, Shane. Not hers! Mine!"

"Michael! Snap out of it!" it was the first time, and possibly the last time, Eve spoke. As soon as Michael heard her he turned towards her, pushing her against the nearest wall. His hands circled her shoulders and he had his fangs inches away from her throat.

Shane snapped. No one, even Michael, would harm his friends. He grabbed the nearest thing which turned out to be an empty glass beer bottle. Michael seemed too occupied snarling into Eve's ear that he didn't notice Shane's advances. With a heavy hand, Shane brought the beer bottle down over Michael's head.

The vampire in front of him froze; his growls stopping momentarily. When Michael didn't react at all, Shane knew he'd done something wrong. Something terribly wrong. Michael stood up slowly, allowing Eve to sink to the floor. His eyes were red and his fangs glistened in the dimming light. "You don't know who you belong to."

"I belong to no one," Shane said indifferently. He was too busy studying the smashed end of the beer bottle. Maybe…just maybe…

"You need to learn your place," Michael snarled, his lips pulling back to expose more of his teeth. He stalked forward slowly. Behind Michael, Shane saw Eve scrambling to her feet. She looked terrified. The movement attracted Michael's attention. Instead of heading for Shane, he changed course for Eve.

"Don't!" shouted Shane, his voice ringing out. He had the razor sharp edged of the beer bottle pressed to his throat. If one thing was going to get the real Michael back then this was it. A vampire put the life of their mate above everything else.

Michael swivelled around quickly when he heard Shane's voice. Shane saw his eyes widen when he saw him. His eyes immediately locked on the knife like edges of the bottle. A look of worry flashed across his eyes before he covered it with a dangerous façade. Michael didn't think he had the guts to end his own life.

"Let her go," demanded Shane as Michael continued to watch him.

Michael sneered. "Or what are you going to do?"

"I'll end my own life. Then you'll be alone, with no mate, no one to care for…forever alone…" Shane trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders. "Do what you want, it's no skin off my back."

Michael faltered in front of him. "You wouldn't." He turned his attention back to Eve.

"I said, let her go!" Shane shouted again. He made sure that Michael was looking when he pressed the ragged edges into his skin; not enough to slash his throat, just enough to scratch the surface. When Michael saw the blood, Shane knew that Michael believed him.

All human pretences came flooding back to Michael. He murmured a quick 'get out' to Eve. She scurried from the room, dropping a piece of paper beside Shane's door as she did. As she left, Michael's eyes began to fade into a panicked blue and all masks slipped from his face. He was pale…too pale. And his hands were shaking slightly.

"Shane…" his voice was soft yet panicked around the edges. Shane wanted to let it soothe him but he knew he had to do this. Michael wouldn't walk all over his again. "Put the glass down…please put the glass down." He spoke slowly and had his hands risen as if Shane was going to bolt at any given moment.

The thought of bolting wasn't something that hadn't crossed his mind.

"No, I won't 'put the glass down'," he mocked Michael's voice. "Things have to change around here if this is going to work. If not, I'll end my life now, right here. And you can watch."

"No! What? What do you want to change? Anything… I'll give you anything you want," Michael said too quickly, panic running through him. Shane was his mate, he couldn't die…he wouldn't let him. He couldn't let him.

"I want you to stop with this possessive crap. I don't care what you think! You do not own me!" Shane shouted, pouring all his feelings into every word. "I want you to back off. I want to be able to see who I want to see without you trying to kill them! Stop trying to control me!"

The bottle shook with the force of Shane's anger. It created shallow cuts along his neck that seeped blood slowly. Michael's eyes didn't linger on the blood; instead they stayed locked on the wavering bottle. "Yeah, I'll do all of that. I'll try…just please, put the bottle down."

"Don't bother following me," Shane snapped as he stormed to his room. Picking up the piece of paper Eve had dropped, he slammed the door behind him. With shaky fingers he unravelled the screwed up piece of paper. On it it read:

_Remember to spray the holy water on the door every fortnight. PS, at least send me a picture of you and Michael together ;P_

Shane laughed humourlessly before throwing the little bit of paper into the bin.

**Please review :D By the way, I've posted an Oliver/Michael romance fic. It's the first of its kind!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Shane yawned. He glanced around at his surroundings, not knowing where he was. It wasn't Michael's bedroom…it was…it was his own. For the first time in a week he had actually woken up in his own bed. It was a relief. So, either Eve's holy water trick was working. Or Michael had decided that Shane needed time to cool off a bit. Either way, Shane was glad he was left alone.

He stood slowly, stretching as he did. On the bedside table, his phone flashed once and vibrated. Squinting through the bright morning light, he opened the text message. It was off Claire. The first time she had spoken to him since that fateful morning. His morning had brightened considerably.

It read: _Hey, can you meet me at Common Grounds tomorrow? We need to talk x_

Wow, a kiss. _She must be taking something,_ Shane thought as he typed back a quick reply. He'd have to bring Michael though, there was no chance he'd let him out to see Claire without him. Possessive little shit…

Throwing his phone onto the bed, Shane walked over to the door. Surely Michael would have found out about the holy water? He'd probably tried to get into his room last night…

Opening his bedroom door, Shane peered out into the hall way. Only to be met by a shirtless Michael. His blue eyes were anguished but focused on the silver cross in his hands. The same one Eve had hung on Shane's door. His fingertips were burnt and singed and he looked paler than usual. As he played with the cross, his finger shook slightly.

"You used holy water," he said, never looking at Shane. His voice was calm and quiet, nothing betrayed his emotions.

Shane closed his bedroom door with a click. He needed to start trusting Michael. Walking forward a few steps, he slid down the wall in front of Michael. "Yeah, I did."

Michael frowned and tugged on the cross. "Why?" He sounded lost and his question was empty; hollow even.

"I – I –" When Shane thought about it, why had he done it exactly? Yes, he'd wanted to stay in his own room. But if he'd told Michael that, then surely he would have allowed him to do so. Instead he'd just gone along with it…and it had gotten him nowhere. "I didn't like the fact that you brought me into your room."

Again Michael frowned and confusion was in his eyes. "I moved you?" he raised an eyebrow and his voice was sceptical. "I didn't move you. I wouldn't breech your privacy like that…"

"Then who did?"

A small smile lit up Michael's face but his hands still shook slightly. "You came into my room. You knocked on the door the first time, but after that you just walked in and climbed into bed with me." Again he looked at Shane with anguished eyes. "It's part of the bond. You need to be around me as much as I need to be around you." Michael paused and he breathed in heavily. His voice was shaking when he spoke. "Why did you use holy water? What is it about me that you hate so badly? Is it because I'm a guy? Or is it because I'm a vampire?"

Internally Shane winced at how bad it sounded. But he needed to answer Michael one way or another. "I guess it's the shock of it all…" he trailed off when he saw Michael shake his head slowly.

"It's not. It's because of what I am. I've seen the fear in your eyes when I come anywhere near you. You hate this…" Michael trailed off, wiping away the blood on his fingertips.

Shane was glad for the slight change of subject. "Why are you still holding the cross if it burns you?"

"It doesn't," Michael mumbled, gently throwing it towards Shane. "That's a rumour; crosses don't hurt us." He returned to smudging the blood across his fingers. It was darker than human blood, and looked sticky too. With a queasy stomach Shane pictured a tin of syrup. Michael's blood seemed to have the same consistency.

"You should stop picking at your fingers; they won't heal if you don't."

"They won't heal anyway. If they do it'll be really slowly." He continued to pick at the scabs.

Shane toyed with the cross in his hands. The edges were sharp. Really sharp. Shane discreetly dragged the edge over his wrist. The cut was shallow but it bled quickly. Clenching his fist, Shane watched as the blood oozed quicker.

In front of him, Michael visibly tensed. Shane saw the flicker of emotions pass through his eyes: confusion, wonder, acceptance, happiness, and finally, hunger. Shane could see him fighting against himself. He saw the shaking of his head. He saw the clenching of his fists. He saw the quick rising and falling of his chest. "Shane, move!" Michael whispered, his eyes glowing crimson red.

"No, you need this. You won't heal otherwise." Shane didn't know what had come over him. Perhaps it was the bond. But something told him it was more, more than the bond. Shane needed to do this. He wanted to do this. Creeping forward a few steps, he stopped when Michael whimpered.

"You don't want this, Shane. Why are you doing this to yourself?" Michael curled his knees to his chest. His fangs were down but his teeth were clenched together.

He didn't answer him. Instead he continued to shuffle forward, his wrist shining with blood. "You need it Michael; I want you to have it." Shane was a foot away from Michael when he turned into a white blur. Shane blinked rapidly. One minute Michael was in front of him, the next minute he was gone.

On shaky legs, Shane stood. He glanced down the hallway. There was no sign of him. Then the front door slammed shut. Shane smirked to himself. So Michael was by the door, and it was sunny so he couldn't leave. Either way, Shane had him trapped in the house.

The tables had turned.

Shane walked forward at a steady pace. Looking down the steps, he saw Michael panting against the door. His eyes were still red, his fangs were still out but his skin was flushed. He'd tried opening the door. But the sun was out. Surely he could sense that?

A defeated look crossed Michael's crimson eyes. He backed himself into the corner, shaking his head and murmuring about how he didn't want or need Shane's blood. There was no escape for him, he needed Shane's blood and Shane would be damned if he wasn't going to get it.

In a matter of seconds, Shane joined Michael at the bottom of the stairs. He knew the risks; he knew that Michael could just push him away. But he knew he wouldn't, not at the risk of hurting Shane. "Come on, it's alright. I want you to have it." He waved his wrist in the air.

Again Michael whimpered and cowered in the corner. A part of Shane didn't understand why Michael was acting the way he was. Shouldn't he have pounced on Shane already? What was holding him back? Shane's eyes widened slightly. That was why. It was their conversation earlier. Shane had never answered Michael's question about why he had hated him. Shane's eyes widened once more. _Had hated_ him; past tense. Seeing Michael so vulnerable had changed his emotions.

Michael really did depend on him. Amelie was right with what she had said. _He will depend on you like a child depends on its parents._ A swell of love blossomed in Shane. So this was what love was like… He hadn't experienced anything like this with Claire. She always came across as a bit desperate. Every time they kissed she would try to take things further. It was always he who stopped it. Maybe that was a sign that he wasn't really into her…

Shane reached his non-bloody wrist out towards Michael. The vampire in front of him growled softly though there was no menace behind it. With a strong hand – nothing that could match Michael's strength – Shane pulled Michael from the corner. Surprisingly Michael allowed him to. Slipping in between the wall and Michael, he made sure Michael's back was to his chest. Up until now, Shane had forgotten that Michael was shirtless. It felt nice to have the cool body against his…

He crossed his uninjured arm across Michael's cool, bare chest. Michael whimpered slightly and tried to crane his head away but he didn't struggle against Shane's hold. Bringing his wrist up to Michael's mouth, he left it hanging in front of his face for a few seconds.

Gentle hands wrapped around his wrist and, for a second, Shane thought Michael was going to push him away. At the thought, a crippling rejection went through him, but instead, Michael pulled his wrist to his mouth and cold, hungry lips wrapped around the small cut. But he didn't sink his fangs in.

Instead Michael lapped at the blood like a cat. His tongue raised Goosebumps on Shane's arm as it danced lightly across his skin. Against his chest, Michael relaxed and his head bobbed slightly as he drank. Moans escaped his mouth as he continued to drink.

At the sensation of feeding Michael, Shane felt heat pool in his groin. It was exactly how it was the first time: an adrenaline rush, dangerous, erotic and it turned him on. The feel of Michael's jean covered ass against his groin had him stifling a moan. He couldn't do that. Not with the state of mind Michael was in. That would be taking advantage of him. But as he heard the vampire moan once more, Shane began to re-think.

Risking a look at Michael, Shane smiled to himself. His eyes were hooded and Shane could see the refreshing blue colour. His skin was flushed and the burns on his fingertips had already healed. His blonde hair was ruffled and fell in his eyes. Shane couldn't believe that he had this effect on such an angelic creature.

Shane shifted his uninjured arm slightly and it brushed Michael's pale nipples. In response the vampire groaned and rubbed himself against Shane. Feeling the friction against his groin had Shane throwing his head back, accidently brushing his arm along Michael's chest once more. Michael relaxed against Shane even more, unknowingly brushing his ass with Shane's groin again. To take his mind off it, Shane buried his face into the crook of Michael's neck.

Michael smelt of nature: of the woods, fresh air and freedom. He smelt like Michael. Shane could see Michael's throat constrict as he fed. His tongue ticked Shane's wrist, gently licking away the last drops of blood as Shane's wrist healed.

Shane couldn't have been happier.

**Hey up! It's me again! A special thanks to Eclipsefan14 and Me for their reviews; they were well appreciated! **

** I was wondering if you wanted them to get down and dirty in the next chapter or if you want them to wait a little bit. And if you do what them to do 'the deed', who would you like to top? Michael? Or Shane? You've seen both of their vulnerable sides now, so please review and post who you want on top. ;P**

** Thanks for reading! PS, I won't post the next chapter until I get the reviews up from 2 to 5. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 **Lemon Time! If you don't like lemons or you're underage please skip this chapter! **

_Shane shifted his uninjured arm slightly and it brushed Michael's pale nipples. In response the vampire groaned and rubbed himself against Shane. Feeling the friction against his groin had Shane throwing his head back, accidently brushing his arm along Michael's chest once more. Michael relaxed against Shane even more, unknowingly brushing his ass with Shane's groin again. To take his mind off it, Shane buried his face into the crook of Michael's neck. _

_ Michael smelt of nature: of the woods, fresh air and freedom. He smelt like Michael. Shane could see Michael's throat constrict as he fed. His tongue ticked Shane's wrist, gently licking away the last drops of blood as Shane's wrist healed. _

_ Shane couldn't have been happier. _

In his arms, Michael growled softly before lifting his lips from Shane's fully healed wrist. His lips were red and parted and breathed softly. He was relaxed, because of Shane. It was the first time Shane had seen Michael like this, so relaxed and care free. The vampire was normally so protective, always putting himself in danger to help others, that Shane was glad that he could give him something, a little peace and pleasure.

Michael fidgeted in his arms, his blue eyes slightly worried. "You didn't have to…" he turned around in Shane's arms. "I thought you hated me-"

Shane silenced him by pressing his lips to Michael's. "I never hated you. I just didn't expect you to choose this life." Michael's lips were cool but soft against his. He could feel Michael's hands running down his sides before they paused on either side of his head. Bright blue eyes were alight with happiness and pleasure as they stared down at Shane. "Are you sure you want this? Because I won't be able to stop and there's no going back."

Once again Shane silenced him by crushing his lips against Michael's. "You ask far too many questions," he said against parted lips. Shane ground his hips roughly against Michael's jean covered crotch. He had never been able to be this rough with other girls. They always wanted it to be tender love. Not wild, passionate fucks that Shane wanted.

At the friction, Michael bowed his head and growled possessively. Unlike other times, Shane wasn't freaked out by it. This was Michael, he'd never purposely hurt him like that. His mouth was inches from Shane's throat…and then it wasn't. He licked Shane's throat tenderly, nipping at the skin with his teeth but never piercing the surface.

Turning his head to the side, Shane exposed more of his throat. Michael growled against his neck and pants that sounded like 'mine' escaped his mouth. The more Michael nipped his neck, the more Shane could feel his fangs beginning to grow. With a great effort Shane pulled away from Michael. "We can't do this here. Bedroom…now…"

Michael didn't wait.

In a speed only a vampire had, he had hitched Shane's legs around his waist, and before Shane even knew what was happening, Michael had thrown him on his bed. He landed with a quiet bounce on the mattress. Before he could catch his breath, Michael was upon him.

There was a new ferocity in Michael's eyes. The usual blue was a torrent of swirling emotions: love, hunger, passion and lust. Sure hands gripped Shane's sides, leaving behind bruises and markings. He didn't speak to Shane, instead growls of lust vibrated from his throat and chest as he claimed him; marking him with his own scent.

Their lips clashed in a battle for dominance, one Shane knew he wasn't going to win. Eve had been right. Michael wasn't about to let Shane top him. But even so, he could try. Their tongues touched roughly as Shane toyed with Michael's fangs. His tongue danced around them, slowly coaxing them down. He felt Michael kiss back with more force and soon Shane was surrender his assault on the two fangs. Michael's icy tongue plundered his mouth while his hands strayed down Shane's body.

The whole thing seemed to come naturally to Michael. He knew exactly where to touch Shane to get the responses he wanted whereas Shane felt lost. His arms were limp at his sides and he didn't know where he could touch Michael. Did he even want to be touched? Or was he content to have Shane lay there like a piece of meat? Slowly Shane raised one hand and allowed it to rest on Michael's shoulder. Michael didn't seem to notice.

Suddenly Shane's shirt was torn. There was a loud ripping noise as the shirt was in two halves, the blue fabric looking pitiful at the side of Shane.

Above him Michael stilled. His eyes were wide and they raked over Shane's body. He looked like he was admiring a world-class painting; not a body that could be easily replaced with another human being. His tongue licked his pale lips slowly and Shane saw a flash of fang.

Shane didn't like being studied. He wasn't a book. He was more of an experiment. Something physical. With a force he didn't know he had, Shane rolled Michael off him and soon enough, their positions were reversed.

From here Shane could see every part of Michael clearly. His chest was white and toned, his nipples taunt and pointed. His face was slightly flushed and he looked at Shane as if he'd just won the lottery.

Ducking his head, Shane began to lick a trail down Michael's body. When he came to the vampire's nipples, he smiled despite himself. From earlier on Shane knew that this was a sensitive area for Michael. He circled one of them slowly, teasing them with his tongue. Underneath him Michael withered and bucked. Short growls left his mouth as Shane continued to torment him. As he bucked, their clothed groins met and Michael released an annoyed groan.

But then Michael flipped them. "Don't do that," he said slowly. When he saw Shane's confused, and hurt, look, he explained quickly. "You're my mate. I'm supposed to be the one pleasing you, not the other way around." As if to prove his point, Michael began to quickly unzip Shane's jeans and tug them down along with his underwear. When they were around Shane's ankles, he threw them across the room where they hit the wall with a dull thud.

"Fine, but don't expect me to lay here naked while you still have clothes on," Shane panted as Michael began to grind his hips against Shane's. His hands found Michael's waistband and he pulled down his jeans in one swift movement. Within seconds Michael's jeans joined Shane's in a dark corner of the room.

Michael's cock stood proud and tall, the head glistening with pre-cum. When he saw Shane looking at him in wonder, he growled and continued his assault on Shane's body. He worked his way down Shane's tanned chest quickly. When he saw Shane's erect cock, he took him in his mouth without a second thought.

Shane hadn't expected that from Michael. When the cold heat surrounded him, he moaned and his hands instinctively found their way to Michael's hair. He could feel Michael's rough tongue on the underside of his cock and the way his fangs would scrape over his sensitive skin. Around him, Michael hollowed his cheeks and bobbed his head slowly.

In response Shane threw his head back and his hips jerked wildly but Michael's hands came to rest on his thighs and held him in place. Shane whimpered against his hold as Michael began to tease him, giving him just enough pleasure to bring him close to a climax, but not enough to push him over the edge. Cool fingers traced circles on his thighs, leaving behind a trail of burning need and desire.

Shane heard the bedside draw sliding open and then shutting with a soft click. Michael lifted his head from Shane's leaking cock and popped the cap off the bottle of…lube. A thrill of fear ran through Shane. All thoughts of a quick fuck went out of his mind. He might as well have been a virgin for what this would entail. Surely Michael wouldn't hurt him purposely…right? He had said he only wanted Shane to feel pleasure.

Sensing his mate's distress, Michael captured Shane's lips once more as he coated his fingers. While Shane was distracted, Michael lowered his hand below Shane's body. He didn't bother to tease Shane with his fingers. He knew it would only make the boy tense.

Despite Michael's best efforts, Shane tensed when he felt Michael's finger. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling and when he felt Michael's finger enter him, his eyes widened but he didn't say anything.

"Relax," whispered Michael against Shane's lips. "Please relax." He ducked his head to lick at the sensitive spot on Shane's neck. It did the trick. Shane squirmed underneath him and he didn't notice when Michael inserted another finger. Michael hooked his fingers, a thrill of satisfaction washing over him when Shane threw his head back while attempting to push down on his fingers.

Shane didn't know what Michael had done. But he wanted that sensation again. He gasped out as Michael continued to hook and scissor his fingers against his sweet spot. "Oh God…Michael…" The vampire's name fell from his lips in a glory of groans. It had surprised Shane; he wasn't normally the sort of guy that said someone's name.

When he heard Shane panting his name, Michael growled against his neck possessively. Shane was his… No one but Michael would see him like this. He felt his fangs grow and they pricked at his bottom lip. No, he couldn't mark Shane yet. It wasn't the right time. But he needed to. The aching pain in his jaw was nearly unbearable. His instincts screamed out for him to bite Shane, to mark him as his own so no other vampire could claim him. He needed to be inside him.

Michael pulled his fingers away from Shane's sweaty, shaking body and reached again for the lube. He didn't waste any time. With a skilled hand, he coated his forgotten cock in one swift movement. Michael knew he wouldn't be able to distract Shane from this. If he put his mouth near Shane's neck then he knew he would only bite him at the wrong time.

Meanwhile, Shane was still in ecstasy from Michael's fingers. He'd never had pleasure on such a scale before. It seemed that Michael knew everything about his body: knew exactly when to touch him, knew exactly how to calm him, knew exactly what to say. It was surreal.

"Are you ready?" Michael panted, his fangs scraping his bottom lip. He could only hope that his eyes hadn't changed. Freaking Shane out at this point wouldn't be a good idea.

Shane nodded. His mind was a haze of pleasure and lust.

With a quick thrust, Michael was balls deep in Shane.

Immediately Shane tensed. His eyes were clenched shut and his head was thrown back. His muscles shook slightly and he was breathing in shallow pants. All of his previous pleasure eluded him now and all he felt was pain. How could people enjoy this?

Michael hated it. He hated seeing Shane like that. But he couldn't do much to distract him. If he went near his neck then he'd bite him…and it wasn't the right time for that. Instead he stilled and waited for Shane to adjust. "Shane! Shane, look at me." Watery brown eyes opened slowly. "Relax, deep breaths, come on…it's alright."

Shane ignored Michael's soothing words. Instead he shook his head. "I don't want it," he choked out. "Please, Michael…"

It tore at Michael's heartstrings to hear that Shane didn't want their mating. A vampire's mating ritual was the most sacred thing to them. Most spent centuries searching for the mate. Some never found them. But here Michael was, with his mate, not knowing how to take the pain away. But there was a way… Shane always calmed when Michael drank his blood. It didn't have to be from his neck. If he could take it from his wrist…but if he took too much… Surely the bond would stop him? Right?

A quick look at Shane's watery, panicked eyes made him choose. He grasped Shane's wrist like a life line. Without much thought for what he was about to do, he bit down on Shane's wrist.

Almost instantly Shane moaned at the familiar feeling. Using it to distract himself from the pain, he focused on it as Michael began to shallowly thrust in and out. As Michael moved the pain slowly began to ebb away until it was nothing but a dull throb.

Michael was in ecstasy. The tight feeling of Shane clenching around him was almost too much. Looking down at the body beneath him reminded him that this wasn't just any old fuck. This was Shane; his mate. Tilting his hips slightly, he thrust hard into Shane.

And Shane gasped. Whatever it was that Michael was doing, he was doing something right. He felt Michael pause and unlatch his fangs from his wrist. He looked at Shane with love shining in his eyes and, even with blood on his fangs and lips, he was still the most beautiful thing Shane had ever seen. Shane clenched his ass around Michael's cock, silently telling him he was ok.

Michael didn't need telling again. He aimed for the Shane's sweet spot again and again, steadily pounding Shane's ass. Sweat beaded on Shane's chest, slowly making its way down his toned stomach. When Michael saw it, he ducked his head and licked away the trail of sweat causing Shane to whither beneath him.

Shane's moans filled the large room. Shane was in heaven. The feeling of Michael's cold cock up his ass was almost too much. All the pain from before had disappeared and now all he could feel was pleasure. "Michael…please…more…harder!" he gasped as Michael continued to thrust into him quickly.

Shane felt the air leave him as Michael changed their positions. He moaned as he felt Michael's cock repeatedly hit his sweet spot. In this position Michael felt huge. Beneath him, Michael licked his lips and his hungry blue eyes had flickers of red in them. "Ride me, Shane. Ride me hard."

He ground his ass into Michael's hips before raising himself up and slamming back down. Keeping eye contact with Michael the whole time he saw his eyes glaze over with pleasure. He continued doing the same thing until strong hands grasped his hips, keeping him still. With force only a vampire had, Michael thrust up into Shane's ass earning cries of pleasure each time.

Every time Michael hit his sweet spot brought Shane closer to climax. The speed and force behind Michael's thrusts were making his head spin; Shane had never experienced anything like it. He threw his head back and ground his hips into Michael's as the vampire continued to thrust into him. "Michael…ugh…please…"

At the sound of Shane's voice, Michael growled again and flipped their position once more. This was it. It wasn't going to be long until Shane was his. Shane's eyes were dazed at the sudden movement but when he looked up at Michael, all he could see was lust and pleasure.

As Michael neared his peak, his thrusts became erratic. Beneath him, Shane was a withering, sweaty mess. The aching in Michael's fangs was almost too much to bare. They ached to be buried in Shane's skin, ached to mark him. Mumbling curses and Shane's name, Michael spilled his cold essence.

Feeling Michael come; made Shane come. His ass clenched around Michael's cock, slowly milking him and he threw his head back, baring his neck to Michael.

Without a second thought, Michael sunk his fangs into Shane's neck. They cut through his skin like knives and he drank deeply. He heard Shane's gasp of surprise, felt him squirming underneath him. The taste of Shane's exquisite blood running down his throat warmed Michael's cold body. It was a cocktail of all the best things and was entirely _Shane. _

He could hear Shane's breathing was slow and his heartbeat calm. Michael glanced up from Shane's neck to see that his eyes were closed and his expression was peaceful. No, he couldn't drink too much. Regretfully, Michael gently pulled his fangs from Shane's neck. The outline of his bite was red and raw looking but Shane didn't look in pain. He was just pale from blood loss. The bite mark was oozing blood slowly so Michael leant forward and trailed a cool tongue across the bite. Vampire saliva held healing properties. Moments later, Michael's bite was a faint silver line.

It was faint and silver so he knew humans would have a hard time seeing it (and it wouldn't freak Shane out as much), but a vampire would be able to see it easily. It would shine from Shane's neck and along with Michael's scent, it would ward off vampires. And above everything else, it should protect him from other vampires.

Shane had moved onto his side, the bite mark facing Michael. Moving around his mate, Michael wrapped his arms around the sleeping body. He couldn't believe that Shane had trusted him so much. It was one of the best feelings he'd ever had. He looked down at Shane once more. He still couldn't believe that such a creature was his.

No one else would see Shane as Michael had seen him. No, he'd protect him with his life before he let anyone near him in such a way.

**Hey up! A special thanks to JLSLOVER, Eclipsefan14, Dezil, xemeraldheart (courtneylouu), cloclomockingjay for your reviews! JLSLOVER, I saw your idea about Claire and I thought it was really good but I wanted to stick the books as much as possible where it concerns Shane and Claire ex-relationship so I was wondering if anyone would mind if Blood Bond became the first Morganville Mpreg (male pregnancy?) **

**Updates may slow down to once a week give or take a few days because of school and exams :O So I apologise in front for the possible lack of updates but I'll write more when I can. **

**So, 15 reviews this time? :P**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Shane was happy; deliriously happy. There was no other word that could describe how he felt. He could still feel the cold arms that had embraced him throughout the night. Michael had never moved, never moved his arms from around Shane. Every few minutes his arms would constrict around Shane's body as if he was checking he was still there. It was kind of cute in a strange, messed up way how Michael always needed him there.

Twisting in Michael's arms, Shane froze when he felt the sharp stab of pain in his neck. The bite. Shane swallowed thickly. He hadn't known that Michael would do that. He'd never expected him to otherwise he would have told him not to. Cautiously, Shane ran his fingers over the raised marks. A dull throb came from the mark when he touched it.

Michael had marked him.

He'd marked Shane as his own.

At the thought, Shane somehow managed to pull himself out of Michael's arms. Thankfully the vampire didn't wake. Probably last night's activities and a full stomach had something to do with it. Stumbling across the room to the large mirror on the wardrobe door, Shane bared his neck towards it.

It was a faint silver circle that held the clear outline of teeth. Around the edges his skin was red from the bite but it would soon fade. Hopefully. The bite marks were deep, the two fang marks the deepest of all. It looked rough and bumpy, not smooth and artistic. Surely it would fade? All scars faded over time. But something told Shane that it wouldn't fade, that it would always look like that.

He sighed as his good mood began to fade. He really did belong to Michael. Closing his eyes, he thought back to when Michael had bit him. The bite had hurt. He wasn't going to lie. Shane had felt Michael's teeth slice through the skin of his neck, he'd felt the pull as his blood left his body, and yet, he'd done absolutely nothing to stop it. He'd just lain there, submissive and docile, letting the vampire do what he wanted to his body.

And now he was left with this; an ugly bite mark that clearly said '_I belong to Michael Glass._'

Glancing over at Michael, he saw that the vampire was still asleep. He didn't look as peaceful as he had done when Shane was lying with him, but he was still asleep. It would give Shane enough time to get dressed without being harassed. As he crossed the room, Shane kept a close eye on Michael. Michael's arm was stretching across the bed and his hand was grasping empty sheets and there was a frown on his brow.

Shutting the bedroom door behind him, Shane crossed the hall to his own room. He didn't look in the mirror again as he crossed the room, instead he went straight to his wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a collar. The collar should hide the bite mark somewhat…

Hearing his stomach growl loudly, Shane ducked out of his room and walked towards the kitchen. Biscuits: he'd need the sugar rush after all the blood he'd lost yesterday. The packet of double chocolate chip cookies from last week was still open and discarded on the counter. Picking up the packet, Shane walked back into the living room…only to see a shirtless Michael studying him with critical eyes. Feeling self-conscious, despite last night, Shane quickly sat down on the nearest couch.

Michael's eyes followed him. The crystal blue never left the mark that Shane had tried to cover up. Shane saw annoyance flicker over Michael's face as he saw the collar of the t-shirt covering it. When Michael stood, Shane forced himself not to flinch. God, Michael could be so damned quick sometimes…

In a faction of a second Michael stood beside him. Cool hands settled on Shane's shoulders before moving towards the t-shirt's collar. "Fold it down; it looks scruffy when you have it like that…"

But Shane knew better. Normally Michael didn't care about how he wore his clothing. Michael only wanted it down so everyone could see the mark. As Michael's hands pulled away, he purposely brushed the mark with one of his hands. The feeling that shot through him caused Shane to gasp. It was filled with warmth, comfort, love and a mixture of other things that made Shane relax into the couch in a boneless heap. Michael continued to run his fingers over the bite, making Shane gasp with each wave of pleasure. But with each touch, Shane could feel himself becoming exhausted. It was as if Michael was draining his energy.

Shane yanked himself away from Michael's hand.

"What the fuck was that?"

In front of him Michael looked hurt and confused. "What?"

"That – that – whatever you were doing just then!" Shane spluttered with his heart racing.

Michael couldn't meet Shane's eyes but he sat on the couch beside him. "You don't know any of this, do you?" Michael asked, lounging back on the couch; an open invitation for Shane to lie beside him.

Shane shook his head slowly.

"It's hard to explain it," Michael said. "The feelings you get when I touch your bite are supposed to protect you. Whenever I touch it you'll feel drowsy and exhausted, it's so I can stop you from doing anything stupid…" Michael trailed off when he saw Shane's facial expression. "But I won't control you; it's only in emergencies or to calm you," he added quickly.

"Then why did you do it just now? I was perfectly fine without your help." Shane didn't snap at him despite how much he wanted to. He had to get along with Michael. At least Michael was trying. Perhaps he could? Slowly Shane moved across the couch and leant back until his back hit Michael's are chest. It wasn't…so bad. Especially when he could feel Michael's arms hugging him and he could practically feel the happiness rolling off him.

"I could feel your emotions. You don't like the fact that I bit you…" mumbled Michael against Shane's neck.

"You can feel emotions?"

"Only yours," said Michael slowly before he changed positions. This time Shane was sprawled awkwardly on top of him. "And not all of them either. Only the ones that might mean you're in danger: distress, extreme shock, pain, fear…"

"Is there anything else I should know?" Shane asked as he pushed himself away from Michael. But when he tried, cool arms wrapped around his waist. Annoyed with the restrictions, Shane struggled against Michael's hold. At first it was kind of funny, but when Michael's arms tightened around him, Shane began to have second thoughts. "Michael…please, let go." He continued to wriggle in Michael's hold. This seriously wasn't funny no more. "Let go!" said Shane more forcefully.

When Michael didn't let go, Shane began to panic. Why wouldn't he let go? If he continued to struggle then Michael could accidently break something. "Michael…let go!" His eyes darted around the room. There was nothing close by he could use to make him release his grip. Nothing.

Beneath him, Michael smirked. "Why?" he taunted. "You're only going to move away."

Shane still struggled. "No shit, Sherlock."

Instead of releasing him, Michael began to gently lick the mark on Shane's neck. He didn't press on too much because he knew the bite must still be sore, but he put enough pressure on so Shane would feel the full effect. And it did.

Within seconds Shane was a squirming mass above him. Gasps and pants left his parted lips as he ground himself roughly against Michael. Abruptly Shane pulled away. "You said you wouldn't do that!" he snapped, his brown eyes blazing. "Stop it! And let me go!" he added quickly.

When Michael didn't let him go, Shane forcefully rolled himself off the sofa…along with Michael. Instead of shocking the vampire into letting him go, Shane ended up trapped beneath him. It was never a good position to be in.

But the way Michael was looking at him, as if he was the most important person in the world, changed his mind. Pressing his lips to Michael's, he felt him freeze for a second. Despite Michael's lack of response, Shane continued until the vampire unfroze. This kiss wasn't passionate, fierce, or a battle. No, it was loving, caring and…sweet. Heat ran through Shane, warming his bones as it did. Slowly Michael began to respond. Strong hands trailed over Shane's sides, ticking his skin as they did. They slid under his shirt, tracing patterns over his flesh.

Shane pulled away abruptly.

"We can't do this," he said slowly while trying to get Michael's attention.

"Why?" Michael's voice was muffled because his mouth was latched firmly to Shane's skin.

"I need…" he trailed off as he tried to think of an excuse. Claire! He still had to see Claire! "I need to see…Claire," Shane said hesitantly, hoping Michael wouldn't snap at him or do that weird but wonderful neck thing.

Michael had stilled. Shane could feel the possessive growls vibrating in his chest though Michael held them back. He heard Michael swallow loudly before saying, "fine, but I'm coming with you."

Shane didn't like Common Grounds. Well, if he didn't like it before, he hated it now. Everybody stared. There was no other word for it. They just…stared. And what made it worse was the fact that Michael always had to have contact. His hand would rest on the small of Shane's back or he'd be touching his arm in one way of another. In other words, Michael was clingy.

Clingy vampire + people staring = horrible day.

Holding his head high, Shane walked over to the counter where Oliver was standing. Shane didn't know where Eve was, but after their last encounter Shane was glad she wasn't here. Then again, he wasn't happy about having to talk to Oliver either.

Oliver was wiry and made up of odd angles. A fake smile – one to comfort humans – was plastered on his face and his greying hair was pulled back into a pony tail. He smirked at Shane in a knowing manner before his eyes locked on the bite mark. An odd look crossed his face before he smiled once more. "How did he manage to catch you?" Oliver's voice was low and there was something else laced into it but Shane couldn't be sure what.

He scowled at Oliver's words and ducked his head when he felt himself blush. This could not be happening… Hopefully Michael wouldn't have heard and cause a scene…

It was too much to ask for.

Michael's arm immediately tightened around Shane's waist to the point that it was painful to breath. He saw Michael's knife-like fangs grow and he flared them at Oliver. Loud, possessive growls came from deep in Michael's chest and he quickly pushed Shane behind him. "He's mine!"

Around them people had put down their drinks and were watching them with a morbid fascination. Every face was on them. All Shane wanted to do was have the ground open up and swallow him whole. How humiliating could one thing be? He tried pulling away from Michael, but a pale hand came out and grasped the edge of his shirt.

Oliver nodded sarcastically. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Without ordering drinks, Michael guided Shane away from the counter and to a small table. Except it was occupied; by one person.

Claire.

"Hi, Shane, I didn't expect to see you this early."

Shane fought the urge to roll his eyes. Let the music begin…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"I got your text," Shane said after an awkward silence.

"I can see that," Claire muttered. "Well, I need to talk to you; about us."

Beside him, Shane felt Michael stiffen. A cool hand gripped Shane tightly and he squeezed it gently to reassure the vampire that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Beside him, Michael visibly relaxed but he never let go of Shane's hand. Once again it amazed Shane how much Michael depended on him. That he hadn't felt like this with Oliver's comments, yet he needed reassuring when it came to Claire.

"Is there anywhere more…private we could talk?" She nodded towards Michael. "It's between you and I, I don't think it's right for someone else to be listening in."

Shane glanced towards Michael. Michael didn't look at him instead he was studying the palm of his hand with mock interest. When the vampire showed no response to Shane's glance, Shane nodded before standing up.

When Michael heard Shane's chair scrape back, he turned away from them to look out of the nearest window.

Sighing, Shane followed Claire to the back of the coffee shop. When they passed Oliver, the vampire grinned a toothily and his eyes lingered on Shane. Shrugging off the cold feeling that surrounded him, Shane continued to follow Claire.

She led him into the woman's bathroom.

At first Shane paused in the door way. Claire motioned the 'all clear' and he followed her quickly, shutting the door behind him as he did. The bathroom was dimly lit and the stalls were in darkness. It didn't exactly look welcoming.

In the corner, on the counter, was a small plastic tub filled with red crystal like beads. They were blood red and reminded Shane of little ladybirds. What were they; a new air freshener that Oliver was trying?

Whatever they were, Claire was staring intently at them. Her back was to him and he saw her reach out for them. Before he could say anything, she popped the top off the container and sprinkled a few crystals into her palm. She didn't look at him as she swallowed them. As she turned to face him, she had a crazy glint in her eyes. Her pupils were dilated and she placed the container back on the side quickly. Too quickly.

What the frig was that stuff?

"We could still be together," Claire said suddenly, chuckling to herself. It was crazy laugh and it had a strange cackle to it. "We could make it work." She sauntered towards him and her hips swayed to an unknown beat.

Shane shook his head slowly. "We can't; it would never work."

"I thought what we had was special? I thought that it meant something?" Claire continued, not fazed by Shane's comment. "Are you going to let a vampire get in the way of us?"

Something wasn't right. Shane wasn't the smartest of people, but he could tell that something was messed up in Claire's head. It was those crystal things, it had to be. She had seemed perfectly fine before she took them. Shane shook his head as she came closer.

By now, there were only a few inches between them. He could feel Claire's ragged breathing and he was trapped between her and the wall. "Claire, come on. You know we can't do this…" Shane trailed off and pushed gently against her shoulder. He couldn't hurt her; wouldn't hurt her.

In response, Claire pushed aggressively against his shoulders. How had she managed that? Shane's back slammed hard against the tiled wall. A dull throb went through his head as it collided with the wall. "No, Shane. You know you want this." Her warm hands trailed his body and she nipped roughly at his neck.

Shane was a cocktail of emotions. Panic, shock, fear for Claire and what had happened to her, and most of all, worried about what would happen. Even if Claire hadn't taken the crystals he wouldn't push against her. Not at the risk of hurting a girl. It was just something he wouldn't do. But with the crystals? He was seriously fucked.

And not in a good way.

Claire continued to rub herself against him, pressing herself between his legs. Small moans escaped her parted lips and she continued to try and get a response out of Shane. Despite everything, Shane felt heat pooling in his groin at the friction. Hey! He was a guy, it wasn't his fault.

His arms circled her waist and for a second, he thought everything was normal. Everything felt how it should be. How it should have been before he became Michael's mate. The feel of a warm body in his arms, the feel of a heartbeat and the sounds of her moans were too much.

When her lips touched his, Shane didn't stop himself.

The door to the bathroom closed with a bang.

Instantly Shane broke the kiss but Claire just moved onto licking his neck.

In the doorway, was Michael. His blonde hair had fallen into his face and his blue eyes were shocked. Slowly a cold mask of indifference settled on his face. His hands clenched into fists and a brutal snarl sounded around the bathroom. Michael's eyes were locked with Shane's and for once Shane didn't like the look in them. Never had he seen Michael look like that.

A fraction of a second passed before Claire was ripped away from Shane. She crashed into one of the dimly lit stalls, the wood shattering around her on impact. There was a small cut at the back of her head and blood oozed from it. She slumped down in the rubble, and she didn't move.

Shane had forgotten about Michael. All he could think about was Claire. Was she dead? She couldn't be. Michael wouldn't kill anyone, would he? Panic, fear and shock ran through Shane as he glanced between Claire's body and Michael.

As soon as his eyes met Michael's, Shane's fear tripled.

"I gave everything to you," Michael growled lowly, walking towards Shane with precise, measured steps. "I could have given you everything you fucking wanted…" His voice wasn't raised, it was quiet. Very quiet. Michael's eyes flashed a crimson red and he flared his fangs in anger.

"Michael, Michael, please listen…" Shane's hands shook as he backed himself against the wall. His hands grasped fruitlessly around him in search of a weapon. Nothing.

"No! You listen, Shane. You're mine, do you hear me? Mine. Get that around your fucking head!" Within seconds, Michael was in front of him and he pressed Shane roughly against the tiled wall.

Shane didn't recognise this Michael. He pushed hard against Michael's body but it was no good. He wouldn't move. "Michael, please move…" Shane gasped as his vision became blurry. He couldn't breathe. Michael was too close, far too close; he shouldn't be this close, not like this.

The vampire (because this wasn't Michael) growled loudly and roughly bit into Shane's neck. This bite wasn't tender like last night, it was rough and it hurt. A lot. Shane's eyes were wide and he swallowed back a scream as his blood was drawn from his body in a torturous way. The vampire continued to chew on his neck, pulling away chunks of flesh.

Cold hands gripped Shane's shirt and tore it open. Buttons flew everywhere and bounced off the walls. At the action Shane felt tears gather in the corner of his eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Bruising hands nipped harshly at the exposed skin.

Shane was struggling to breath and he let the tears spill over…

Bloodied lips left his neck and trailed down over his chest, leaving behind ribbons of blood. They latched over one nipple and in that instant, Shane knew what Michael was going to do…and there was nothing he could do to stop him.

He continued to struggle against Michael. The wound on his neck continued to bleed profusely. His vision continued to gather black spots. His mind continued to go foggy.

No…Michael wouldn't, would he? No…no…he wouldn't…don't…no…no, no… Shane's thoughts were in tatters. Michael wouldn't do that…wouldn't do… that…couldn't…no…no…please… Shane screamed in his head. "…please, Michael! No! Please! Please don't! Don't hurt me! Please, I'm sorry… No, no…"

Shane's pleas had become vocal.

That did it. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over Michael. He stopped what he was doing and everything came flooding back. He felt the vampire in him recede and gained control over himself. He slowly licked away the blood on his lips…and froze at the taste. It was familiar. Too familiar; Shane's.

Michael's eyes snapped open.

They locked with Shane's panicked, tear filled brown ones. This was Shane; his mate, fighting for his breath and crying. No! Biting his lip and walking backwards, he held his hands out to Shane. Then he noticed the bite mark. The savage tearing at the delicate skin and the way the blood still ran down his neck and now down his exposed chest. Michael couldn't believe he'd done that. His mate…he'd done that to Shane. A small whimper came from Michael.

Shane could feel his legs shaking and he fought with himself so he wouldn't collapse. He saw the desperate look in Michael's eyes; it didn't change how he felt. "Please, let me go…" Shane asked quietly. He didn't meet Michael's eyes, he couldn't.

"I want you to…" Michael trailed off and Shane saw him swallow thickly. "I want you to go, Shane. I want you to stay as far away from me as you can…"

Hearing those words unfroze Shane. And he ran.

The last thing he saw was Michael's legs buckle as he slid down the tiled wall. He heard the gut-wrenching cries and he saw the tears but he didn't stop. He had to get away.

**Sorry it's so short! So, what do you think to the turn of events? Please review! Thanks for the reviews so far! Maybe 25 this time? :D**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

He couldn't breathe. He needed to be out of there. He needed to be anywhere but there.

Shane heard the bathroom door slam shut behind him. Around him he saw people look up in surprise and gasp at the bloody mark on his neck. No one seemed to notice the fact that he was half naked. His breathing was still erratic but he'd managed to stop the tears, not the panic. It still ran through his veins. With wide eyes he kept an eye out for Michael. Who knew how long it would be before he would want him back?

Shane stumbled at the thought.

Never had the door to the coffee shop seemed so far away. He could smell the hypnotising aromas of coffees. He could see the way people gawked at him. He could hear people shouting to him, asking if he was alright.

He could feel cold arms snake around his waist.

Shane choked back a cry as whoever it was quickly pulled him into another room. When he heard the door clang shut, his panic increased tenfold. Straining against the arms, Shane could feel the tears beginning to spill over. Why couldn't he be left alone? Why now? Why this?

He thrashed in his captives arms but they didn't release him. Shane coughed and spluttered as he fought to breathe as the arms became more restricting. It was definitely a vampire. It was far too strong to be human.

"P - Please, let me go…" Shane said weakly, part of him not caring about how he sounded. Having part of your neck chewed open by a lover sort of did that to someone.

No matter how much he struggled, the vampire wouldn't release him. If anything, the restrictions tightened to the point where Shane could barely move. Behind him, the vampire sniffed at his neck but didn't bite into the fresh wound. So the vampire was old…it had to be otherwise it would have no self-control.

So, if Shane wasn't a snack, what did it want? Why wouldn't it let him go? And who was it?

Suddenly he was released, and a second later and old gas lamp was lit in the corner. Surprisingly, even to himself, Shane didn't run. He was too intrigued. Instead he just stood there rubbing his bruising waist.

Something told him that this wasn't Michael. Michael. At the thought, a pang went through his heart. Could he sense Michael's emotions? Shane shuddered at the thought: he didn't want to see the vampire, much less be in his mind.

The flicker from the oil lamp lit up a small fraction of the room. The flame flickered and danced around, creating imaginary shadows that Shane watched from the corner of his eye. There was no sign of the vampire.

Something moved in the corner of the room. And then another gas lamp was lit. And this one, finally, revealed the vampire that had snagged him.

Oliver. A ghostly smile lit up his face as he stared intently at Shane's face. He didn't seem to care about the blood that was freely flowing from his open neck. "I thought you were smarter than that… Running through a coffee shop filled with vampires, how stupid is your generation? Just because you're bonded with a vampire doesn't mean you're invincible…" Oliver trailed off as he pulled two chairs over, sat on one and gestured to the other chair. "Take a seat. I don't want the hassle of having to explain an unconscious body."

Shane shook his head. "I'm not bonded to any vampire," he explained despite the silver bite mark on his neck.

"The bite on your neck seems to say different," Oliver said while he relaxed against the wooden chair. For a vampire he was terribly relaxed around wood…

He closed his eyes against the images and feelings that rushed through his body. The love in Michael's eyes, the fire that burned deep in them whenever they touched. There was the look of joy that would cross his face whenever Shane would do something to push the bonding forward. And the whimpers that would come from him whenever he fed from Shane… All of it gone in one silly misunderstanding that had left both of them hurt: both physically and emotionally.

"If you don't want to be meals on wheels, I can heal that for you if you want." Oliver's eyes trailed over Shane's exposed chest. The boy really was something. How had he never noticed it before? If he had, then he could have been his and not that ungrateful blonde vampires who didn't know how to control himself… Was there any way he could steal another's unwanted mate without coming to the wrath of Amelie? There had to be some way…

Shane fidgeted uncomfortably. When Oliver's eyes were on him it made him hyperaware of his shirt gaping open. Wrapping his arms around his torso, Shane tried his best to hide as much skin as possible. But he really did need that wound healed… "Yeah, if you don't mind."

Oliver nodded and rose from his chair gracefully. "You really will need to sit down for this," he said. Oliver turned his back to Shane before flitting to the other side of the room. For a moment Shane could hear rustling before Oliver reappeared again, an ancient looking medical kit in his hand. "Hold still…this may hurt."

Hearing those words, Shane focussed on other things in the room. The door was across the room so if he needed to escape he had no chance. He might as well stand there and start slashing his wrists… So that was out of the picture. Lining the walls were a few wooden crates, presumably supplies for the coffee shop. Beside those was a battered, leather case that looked a bit like a guitar case but probably wasn't. Guitar…Michael.

A lump formed in Shane's throat. Two days ago he'd given everything to Michael, and for what? To be repaid with a mark that branded him as Michael's…and no freedom to see or meet who he wanted. Even so… It still pained him that he couldn't trust Michael after all this time. What would he be doing now? The last time Shane had seen him was when he'd collapsed against the wall in the bathroom…distraught cries tearing their way from his throat. Would he still be there? Or had he gone home? Shane tried not to care…he really did. But he couldn't help but wonder what other stupid things the vampire could be doing. Starving himself? Pining away for him to come home. Uselessly trying to call Shane on his mobile? Or had he just forgotten Shane and moved on already? In less than an hour? Shane found it unlikely. After all, Michael looked upset enough when he ran from the bathroom.

Shane hissed when a sharp pain flared up the side of his neck. The side where Michael had marked him two days prior…

"Sorry about that," Oliver murmured. "I accidently touched your bonding mark." No, he hadn't accidently touched it. If it caused pain then it meant that they still harboured feelings for one another. Or that Michael was trying to find Shane through the emotional link mates shared. It would make the separation easier for the vampire if he knew Shane was safe and happy. Any sign of fear and, no matter what Shane thought of him or what was said before, Michael would come running. If Oliver wanted to get anywhere with Shane then he'd have to keep him calm at the very least…he could always knock him out if it became necessary.

"Do you know much about the bonding? Michael didn't seem to know much about the side effects and such…" Shane trailed off. Whenever he said Michael's name the blonde would immediately spring to mind.

"I've never found my mate," _the closest I've ever got to a mate is you. _"But I know a few things from what I've seen. After a while without their mate the vampire will slowly deteriorate and become nothing…they depend on their mate for everything."

"So…Michael might die?" Panic ran through Shane at the thought. He might be scared of Michael at the moment…but he didn't want him to die…

Oliver shrugged his shoulders before putting the needle and thread back into the medical kit. "Not straight away. It will take a few months, then again, it might not even take that long because of the way he left you."

Shane stood abruptly, wincing when the movement pulled at his stitches. "I need to go, I can't leave him like that." Suddenly, a cold hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back to his seat.

"Give him a week, Shane. You don't know what state of mind he's in."

**Blood Bond**

"We have to do something! We can't just leave him like this!" Sam paced the length of Amelie's office. It hadn't taken long for the news of the incident at Common Grounds to spread around town. They'd sent guards to Common Grounds to take Claire to an isolation ward for attempting to come between a vampire and its mate. None of the guards could find Shane… Sam just thought they hadn't looked hard enough.

Amelie stood behind her desk, her arms folded in front of her, her legs crossed. Her sharp, pale eyes followed Sam's movements. "Sit down, Sam. Your pacing is not helping Michael."

Sam shook his head and bit the side of his cheek to stop from snapping at her. He couldn't snap at her…not when she'd only just started talking to her again. "You weren't the one who found him…" he said softly, finally meeting Amelie's eyes.

"What was he like?" She asked softly despite the lack of emotion in his voice.

"He was sat on the balcony with blood around him. He'd tried making himself sick to quicken his death…he isn't looking good. He was sat in the corner, shaking, watching the sun as it neared him. Michael's only young; you know he won't survive long if he decides to go into the sun…" Sam shook his head sadly. This was his grandson. Michael would be happy that he found his mate, not mutter a string of profanities about 'how sorry he was' or hitting his head against a wall while crying out Shane's name.

Amelie showed no sign that she had even heard what Sam had said. She was as still as ever, a trait Sam had learned that meant she was thinking everything over, weighing up the pros and cons of the situation. "Is he still on the balcony? That you know of."

"No, I managed to persuade him to go back inside. I'll check up on him again later today to make sure he's not coughing up any more blood."

"Do you know where Shane is?" She asked quietly.

"The guards you sent found his scent in Common Grounds but they couldn't locate him. We think Oliver may have him at the moment." If anything was going to grab Amelie's attention it would be the fact that her rival had one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. If they couldn't find Shane within a week then there would be nothing for him to come back to. Michael would be dead or too far gone to help.

"Find Shane within the week. I refuse to let another die because of Oliver's interferences."

**The plot thickens! Sorry about the lack of updates, I only have exams as an excuse… What do you think Oliver's going to do with Shane? Any thoughts of how Michael's reacting? Do you think they'll find Shane in time?**

**Please review! Thanks for reading! 35 reviews maybe? Thanks! :D**

**Ps, if you like Blood Bond then you may be interested in No Rest For The Wicked, or if you're over 16 then you might want to read the PWP I wrote between Shane and Michael called Dirty Little Messages…**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Oliver growled lowly for what seemed like the tenth time that day. Just seconds ago he'd had another group of Amelie's vampires questioning him about Shane's whereabouts. She seemed to be targeting him especially, he hadn't seem none of the other vampires being questioned. Perhaps he looked guilty? No…he'd had years to perfect a cold, stony mask that gave nothing away…even under the worst possible conditions.

At the minute Shane was still in the room where Oliver had healed the bite wound…and he was growing more and more agitated by the second. Maybe it was because every few minutes his thoughts would go back to Michael. How was he doing? He hadn't done anything stupid, had he? Oliver had told him that Michael would no doubt be trying to sense Shane's emotions, anything to feel closer to the mate he'd lost. Every now and again Shane would feel a tingling sensation in the bonding mark and a wave of anguish would wash through his body, only to disappear seconds later. Was that Michael? Was that what he was feeling? If so, Shane didn't know how the vampire was able to cope through everything.

For the third time that day, Shane had found himself standing by the door that lead through to the main area of Common Grounds…and that would lead to Michael. Every time he'd managed to stop himself but the pull to see Michael was getting stronger. So far, three days had passed since he'd last seen Michael and the ointment Oliver had rubbed on the bite mark seemed to be working. There was only a faint scab where the wound had been. It was a miracle that it had healed so fast.

Over the past few days, Shane had made sure not to mention Michael around Oliver if he wanted to stay alive. The older vampire would growl fiercely at Shane whenever Michael was mentioned. If anything, Shane thought that Oliver wanted him to forget about Michael. Whenever Shane tried to persuade Oliver to let him see Michael, he would always tell him it was a bad idea and that Michael would more than likely harm him again for leaving.

But Michael had been the one that had told Shane to leave…

And if the emotions Shane was experiencing were anything to go by, then Michael was having a really hard time…

**Blood Bond**

They weren't looking hard enough! The vampires Amelie had sent to look for Shane had only talked to Oliver! Why would Oliver willingly hand Shane over if he saw him as a potential mate? Sam sighed in frustration. This was his grandson that was withering away in front of his eyes. A few more days and he'd ceased to exist.

Sam had done what he could to make Michael comfortable. He knew the pain of losing a mate (he'd gone through it for years when Amelie had stopped talking to him) but at least he knew she was ok. Michael didn't even know if Shane had survived the bite or where he was.

So Sam had done his best. He'd called to the blood bank and given Michael his own share of blood to make up for the amount his body had lost and was now craving. Sam had tried to convince Michael to drink but all the other vampire said was 'that he was betraying Shane by drinking someone else's blood.' In the end Sam had had to force the blood down Michael's throat by pinning him to the bed. It hadn't done either of them any good but it would keep Michael alive for a few more days at the very least. After the second bottle had been forced down Michael's throat, he'd given up trying to stop Sam and had quietly drunk the remaining bottles so long as Sam was there to watch him. After that, Michael had turned his back to Sam but he could still hear the quiet noises that Michael made…and his calls to Shane.

The calls alone were what had brought Sam to Common Grounds. Normally he trusted Amelie's judgement…but not where Michael was concerned. When he arrived, everything seemed normal apart from the 'no entry' sign taped to the woman's bathroom. Looks like Oliver still hadn't had time to fix the bathroom… As he expected, Oliver was behind the counter.

"Oliver?" Sam asked politely. He knew that if older vampire sensed a threat to his potential mate then he wouldn't answer any of Sam's questions. "A second, please?"

Oliver raised his eyebrows slightly before reaching over the counter to hang a sign that said 'break, be back in ten minutes.' He hung his apron up before stepping from behind the counter and motioning for Sam to follow him to the back of the coffee house. "You've already wasted your second, but what do you want?"

"I need to know where Shane Collins is, you haven't seen him around have you?"

A guarded look came to Oliver's eyes. "No, I haven't. You're the eleventh person to ask me about this boy. What's so special about him?"

There was no way Sam could avoid this. He needed to tell Oliver everything if he was to have any chance of finding Shane. "I can smell his scent all over your shop, and yourself. Where are you hiding him? You know the penalty for trying to break a mating bond."

**Blood Bond**

Through the crack in the door, Shane heard his name being mentioned. Standing from the small bed Oliver had set up for him, he walked quietly towards the door. Who was looking for him? Would he find out anything about Michael? Through the crack he could see Oliver and Sam having a heated conversation about a mating bond and what would happen if Oliver tried to interfere. Would they notice if he stuck out?

All he wanted to do was pay Michael a visit to see how the vampire was coping…

Slowly he opened the door, praying that it wouldn't creak. Thankfully it didn't…and the sun was shining outside meaning that Sam would have to find his car before he could follow…and Oliver most likely wouldn't follow him. Shane wasn't that important to Oliver…was he?

The coffee shop was full and the aroma of coffee filled the air. Shouldn't it mask his scent a little? Pulling his torn shirt (Oliver had refused to give him another) around his shoulders, he kept his head low. People huddled around him like coat all wanting to be the first into the queue, but seeming to hide Shane none the less.

Just a bit further now…

If he listened closely he could still hear Sam and Oliver's conversation. It still seemed to be around the effects of interfering with a mating bond. Good. They shouldn't notice Shane if they were too busy talking about rules… he could see the door now, and he'd never been as thankful in his life.

Clasping the handle in his hand, Shane slowly pulled the door open, hoping that the little silver bell wouldn't jingle. His palms were sweating as he watched the little bell tip to the side as he opened the door, threatening to blow his cover. His hands shook and the door wobbled in his grip… he couldn't stay here for long.

The bell jingled, its innocent tune sounding deafening to Shane's ears.

He watched out of his eye corner as both Sam and Oliver's heads snapped up, their eyes immediately locking with Shane's. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Growls ripped from the two vampires, causing the crowd that separated them from Shane to part like the Red Sea. Both vampires began to walk towards Shane, their steps quickening with very passing second…

Shane bolted.

Behind him the door swung shut heavily and the bell crashed to the floor and shattered with the impact. The streets were empty, not even a car in sight except for the blacked out vampire car that sat in the shade directly outside Common Grounds: Sam's car. Oh God. There were no witnesses around so they could do what they wanted. They could drag him down the nearest alleyway and no one would know until his body was discovered – if it was discovered.

Risking a glance behind him, he saw Sam climbing into the car with Oliver running straight for him, in the sunlight. From experience Shane knew Oliver could stay in the sunlight for some time but it should slow him down quite a lot. As for Sam and his car…

Shane darted down a small alleyway, shaded but far too small for the car to fit through. If he remembered correctly then it should bring him out opposite the Glass house. If everything worked out correct…

Again he heard growls, two of them so Sam had obviously ditched the car to follow on foot. Shane looked behind himself again, only see Oliver a few metres behind with Sam lagging behind him. The opening of the alleyway was near…and in front of that the Glass house. If he could keep running for a few more minutes he'd reach the house.

Shane's sides were hurting and the stiches in his neck sent shooting pains down his neck and body. His breathing was shallow and he couldn't get enough oxygen and his muscles were cramping and his legs ached. But he had to make it…for Michael. If he didn't get there in time then he'd never see Michael again. Despite all earlier thoughts, he missed the vampire. He missed the loving look in his blue eyes, the cute growls he'd make when feeding and the feel of his cool arms wrapped securely around his waist. He needed the touches that the vampire handed out in shovels…and if he dare say it, Shane needed Michael's protection. He'd only been away from him for a few days and he was already running from two vampires that wanted him for reasons he didn't know…

Against his back he felt fingers reaching to grab his torn shirt…

He heard the outraged snarls as the vampire missed by millimetres…

He saw the steps leading up the house…

A stone whizzed past his ear… Were they trying to knock him out now?

He leaped over the crack in the pavement that had tried to trip him up… he couldn't afford to trip now…

Shane vaulted the fence that surrounded the house easily…

He was nearly there, just a few more steps…

He'd never been so relieved to fall through the door. Slamming it shut behind him, he hoped he could find Michael soon… He could hopefully find a way to keep the other vampires out… Shane's fingers shook as he tried to pull the multiple dead bolts into place. With little clicks and clunks, all seven were finally done.

"Michael?" Shane called out, taking the steps two at a time. His heart was still beating ten to the dozen but his breathing was calming somewhat. Thoughts swirled around his mind as he climbed the steps only to hear nothing in reply. What if Michael wasn't here? What if he was with someone else? What if something bad had happened?

Finally he reached the top of the stairs and his hand rested on the first door he came to…his own. He could still see the streaks of holy water that he'd squirted on the door. It all seemed so long ago now…all so trivial to what he'd been through. Pushing open the door he called out, "Michael?"

There was still no reply.

Was he too late?

Switching on the light, Shane froze in the door way. No…

**Hey, sorry I couldn't wait until the reviews got to 35. This chapter's been running through my mind for ages now, I had to write it. So, hope you like it! I'm going on holiday for roughly a week so you'll have to sit and wonder about what Shane has seen. Any ideas?**

**Thanks for reviewing! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_Was he too late?_

_ Switching on the light, Shane froze in the door way. No…_

The room was dimly lit by a small lamp in the corner of the room yet the curtains were pulled shut, the only natural light coming from the small crack where the curtains didn't meet. Shadows ghosted along the walls and Shane shivered as Goosebumps rose on his arms. The whole room had a dark and dismal feel to it…

But Shane wasn't bothered about the room. Pushed into one corner was Shane's bed. But something was in it…and that something wasn't Shane… And it moved. The covers that were wrapped tightly around it shook with small shudders and cries came from the thing in the blanket. Just as Shane was about to back out of the room, one of the shadows danced crossed the bed, highlighting a head of blonde hair.

Michael.

For a few minutes Shane stayed by the door listening to the vampire's cries. His name was mumbled out and every time it was called he saw Michael raise something to his wrist. Apologises were constantly streaming from the vampire's mouth in a crazy stream of whimpers. A dark liquid spilled over the bed sheets, staining them a bloody red.

"Michael?" Shane whispered. He had to stop him; he couldn't let the vampire injure himself like this. Closing his eyes for a second, he took a step into the shadowed room and shut the door behind him. He was trapped. Michael could do anything he wanted to him…but Shane knew it was the only way to let the vampire know that Shane trusted him. On whatever crazy, insane level that was.

Surprisingly Michael didn't look at him. He just curled into a tight ball, his bloody arms wrapped around knees. He'd buried his face into Shane's pillow, the scent of his mate seeming to ease the guilt in his heart. "Stop it…" Michael's voice shook as he spoke, more to himself than to Shane. Was he even aware that Shane was here? Or was he too far gone? "All I hear is your voice…shouting at me, screaming in fear… Please, stop…"

Shane knew that Michael didn't have a clue he was there. Had he gone crazy without seeing him? Michael had started talking to himself, pleading for the voices in his head to 'stop torturing him'. He felt for the vampire, he truly did. But Shane was here, why wouldn't Michael notice that? Unless he was seeing things…seeing ghosts and shadows of Shane. "Michael, I'm here. You're not dreaming."

"You always say that…then I look, and you're not there." Again he raised the item (a sliver cross) to his wrist and sliced his skin with it. A gasp of pain came from him but he continued to slash at his skin.

"Michael! Stop that!" Shane lunged forward, somehow managing to get a grip on the small, silver cross. Beneath him Michael thrashed, his eyes clenched shut as he refused to look at the weight on top of him. What were the chances it would be Shane? It could be anyone. He flashed his fangs and growled lowly. Couldn't he be left to mourn on his own? First Sam and then this guy. "For fucks sake! Open your fucking eyes!"

Shane wrenched the cross from Michael's hands, blistering the vampire's hands in the process. Launching the cross to the opposite side of the room, Shane watched as it hit the wall with a clatter and fell to the floor. Beneath him Michael was still struggling, but not as much. He seemed to have given up. Small, desperate growls escaped his parted lips and his fangs cut into his bottom lip at a painful angle. "Michael, I'm here. Open your eyes, man!"

"No you're not," Michael cried, bloody tears running down his temples. "It's just voices, illusions. I need Shane back." He clutched at the slices on his wrists, spreading the dark blood across his arms and irritating the cuts so that they oozed blood quicker than before.

He was getting desperate. How could he get Michael to open his God damned eyes? If he knew another way then he'd have taken it. But he really needed to see his eyes. Shane had to make Michael believe he was here. Who knew how far the vampire had gone?

So Shane _slapped him._

Hard.

Michael's eyes flew open, flecked with red, and they instantly locked on Shane's worried face. Not another illusion. Hadn't he been tormented enough? But this seemed too far-fetched to be an illusion. Shane was solid in his arms; his skin was warm against his and his heartbeat was quick and _alive. _Shane was alive and in his arms.

Suddenly everything else didn't matter. He wrapped his arms tightly around Shane, breathing in the fresh scent of his mate. Nothing could ruin this moment, not even the fait coffee smell that lingered on Shane's skin. Michael stayed on one side of Shane's neck; he didn't want to see the scars of his own teeth on Shane's skin. Instead, he gazed up at the bonding mark, the faint silver lines that marked Shane as his own, his hand roamed over the mark and delighted sounds came from the body above him. He wanted to taste Shane, to press his own lips against the only ones that could warm his ice cold skin. But he didn't know how far he could push Shane. If Shane were to recoil it would shatter Michael.

No, he'd stay with what he knew.

Shane squirmed as he felt a cold mark gently running over the rough edges of the bonding mark. His eyes never strayed from Michael's face. In one look he knew Michael had suffered in Shane's absence. His skin had a greying tint and his cuts weren't healing. His fangs had yet to disappear…

And his lips. They were torn from his fangs and very pale but they'd never looked so appetising. From the tense set in Michael's shoulders Shane knew that he wasn't going to risk anything. Shane would have to push things forward if he wanted to. So he pressed his lips to Michaels. Fire exploded in his nerves and felt Michael tighten his hold on him. Under the ministrations of his tongue, Michael's fangs slowly retreated so as to not harm Shane in any way. Their tongues touched and danced before Michael allowed Shane to explore his mouth. For the first time, the vampire had submitted and allowed Shane to do as he wished to his body.

He never thought he'd say this, but it felt _wrong_ when Michael submitted. He wasn't supposed to do that…

Against his back he felt Michael's blood soaking through his tattered shirt. He still wasn't healing. Rolling them over, Shane offered his neck to the vampire – the side where the bonding mark was. "Drink, you need it." Michael only shook his head in response. "Are you really going to do this to me Michael? You're wasting away, drink it. I'm offering!"

Slowly blue eyes turned red and his fangs slipped down again. With one last look into Shane's eyes, Michael dipped his head to settle his mouth against Shane's neck. Michael licked at the hot skin a few times, covering the previous coffee scent with his own. Whoever had touched Shane beforehand wouldn't touch him again… Hot blood filled his mouth when he bit down and he moaned in pleasure. It tasted of chilli, tacos and chocolate: everything that was Shane. It exploded on his taste buds and he couldn't help the noises that left his parted lips.

Shane tensed when he felt Michael's fangs slip into the marks in his neck. He couldn't help it. After his last encounter with Michael's teeth he was surprised that he still let him near him never mind feed from him. But this was different. Because of the bond mark, Michael's teeth constantly brushed against it, irritating the surfaces and sending waves of pleasure through Shane's system. Above him Michael's body protected him and ground down on him and his blonde hair tickled the side of Shane's face.

But it was right. Everything was how it should be. Nothing else mattered. It was just Michael and Shane, each of them healing the other emotional and physical wounds.

**Blood Bond**

A sharp knock at the door stirred Shane from his slumber. Behind him (Michael had fallen asleep with his chest to Shane's back and one of his arms around his waist) Michael sighed and mumbled, "Stay here, I'll get it."

Michael moved slowly. He wanted to stay with Shane as long as possible. Regretfully he pulled on a shirt and stepped into a pair of jeans that had been laying somewhere on the floor. What was the point of putting clean clothes on when he was going to go straight back to Shane, in bed, when once he'd managed to get rid of the visitor? Shutting the bedroom door behind him, he flitted down the steps and opened the door cautiously.

Sam stood on the porch steps, a large hat shading his face from the worst of the sun's glare and burning fingers. Relief flooded him when he saw Michael's flushed skin and shining eyes. Something had happened last night. Something had changed him from the catatonic state he'd previously been in. Sam pushed past Michael and told him to shut the door and lock the dead bolts. The last thing he wanted was for Oliver to come barging in.

Not that a few locks would stop a vampire if they really wanted to find someone.

"Nice to see you too, Sam," Michael said sarcastically.

"Sorry, Michael. I'm not here to socialise. If you find Shane, hide him, protect him. Do whatever you need to do, no matter what he says, to keep him safe."

Panic flooded Michael and it suffocated him. Drowning. Shane was in danger. Real life, mortal danger. He could almost feel his dead heart begin to beat again in fast furious pace. This couldn't be happening. Michael had only just got him back. "Who from? What from?"

"Oliver: he's trying to claim Shane as his mate. Protect him with your life, Michael. If Oliver bites him over your bonding mark then you'll lose him."

Oliver. Sharp growls vibrated through his chest and he couldn't be bothered to try and stop them. That explained the coffee scent! He was trying to steal his mate from him! "He's not getting Shane. I won't let him. I'll die first."

**Hey up! So, what do you think? Are you glad they're back together? And what about Oliver? Please review and thanks for reading! 40 reviews maybe? :D**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After a few words (mainly Sam asking how he was coping) Michael shut the door behind his Grandfather and pulled all seven deadbolts into place. When the last bolt slid into place with a deafening click, did everything finally fall into place. Oliver wanted Shane as _his mate._ He wanted to steal Shane from Michael. A God-only-knows-how-old vampire wanted to take a year old vampire's mate. What chances did Michael stand?

Hardly anything.

Oliver was physically built bigger than Michael; he was turned when he was older after all. He'd had spent – possibly millenniums – searching for someone to call his mate. So he wasn't going to give up easy. He'd lead battles and won… Michael? He once got an A in maths. He doubted Pythagoras Theorem was going to help him now.

But Shane. He'd only just got him back and Oliver had to try and fuck everything up. Michael bit his bottom lip, a nervous habit he'd gotten. Going without Shane for a few days had been bad enough…he'd never survive if Oliver won Shane over. The thought of Shane leaving made panic bubble up in his throat. No, he couldn't leave…

Shaking his head to clear the panic from his thoughts, Michael took the stairs two at a time in a desperate need to see Shane. If only he hadn't been so stupid as to bite Shane then Oliver wouldn't have shown any interest in him. Then again, when they had gone to Common Grounds to meet Claire. Oliver had clearly shown interest then…

Bastard.

Pushing open the door to his bedroom, he panicked when he saw Shane getting dressed, his trainers in his hands. "W-where are you going?" No, he couldn't leave. Michael shook his head against the onslaught of thoughts in his mind. _He doesn't want you. He wants something more, someone who won't hurt him. He doesn't trust you anymore. This is all a dream… _"You're…you're not leaving, are you?" Michael's voice shook with every word and the tremors in his body got worse. Backing away from Shane, he shut his eyes against everything. He couldn't watch as Shane left him…again…

_It's all a dream…_

"Michael?" Shane called out to him, dropping the trainers to the floor. They landed with a thud. What was wrong with him? Michael had his eyes clenched shut and his whole body shook. "Michael, I'm not leaving… I was just getting ready." Was this to do..? Shane's eyes widened. Michael thought he was leaving him. Just like his illusions had done…

"No…no… You were going to leave…" He still didn't open his eyes, but his body had stopped shaking. That was something at least. _He's scared of you, Michael. You bit him without his consent. Can't you hear the way his heart races?_ "Please, don't leave."

"I'm not leaving you, Michael," murmured Shane, his voice soft as he took a step towards the vampire. "I'm really here; I'm not an illusion." He reached out to run his hands up and down Michael's ice cold arms. They were colder than usual. "Can you feel this? Heat; my body heat. An illusion can't give you that…"

Small bloody tears leaked from the corners of his closed eyes. "You always make me believe." He scratched at the healing wounds on his arms. "And then you disappear. You always make me hope." _It's just a dream, can't you see? Why would he want a blood sucking demon like you? And one that tried to kill him? _Michael didn't bother to wipe the tears away as they slowly trickled down his cheeks. Why hadn't he ran out already? After the first few days he thought he'd finished. But no…

"What can I do to make you believe that I'm here?" Shane racked his brain for something, anything. "Please, just open your eyes. I can prove it to you."

Slowly, hesitantly, Michael opened his eyes. He offered a weak smile as he brushed away the tears. "Just tell me you're here, and that you're not leaving…and that you're not scared of me…"

For a few moments Shane paused. He saw the panic and worry building up in the vampire. Swallowing thickly, he nodded his head. "I'm here, I'm not leaving…and I'm not scared of you."

Immediately he was enveloped in a cold hug with Michael's face buried in the crook of his shoulder. "Thank you," he mumbled against Shane's neck, his words marred. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me, you were there…with her and – and I just lost it…" he trailed off, gulping in lungful's of air. "I bit you… I even heard you crying and telling me to stop. And I didn't stop." He bit down harshly on his bottom lip. "I'm so sorry."

For once, Shane didn't know what to say. He couldn't bring himself to say 'it doesn't matter' or 'it's okay' because it wasn't. Michael needed to learn to control his instincts otherwise they'd both end up dead. But… "We can work through this."

"I hope we can," Michael said, his thoughts going back to Sam's visit. How could they work on their relationship if Oliver wanted to fuck it all up? "Just tell me that you won't leave me."

"I've told you, Michael. I won't leave you."

**Blood Bond**

A few days had passed since Shane had gone back to the Glass house. Over that time he and Michael had gotten closer and Shane had stopped flinching whenever Michael came near. Slowly, things were getting better. Since returning, Michael had fed from Shane once again, this time they took it a little further and had explored each other's bodies once again; not bonding, but in other little ways.

But Michael had still to tell Shane about the threat of Oliver. He knew he should trust Shane, and it was wrong to keep secrets from him, especially since the bond they shared was fragile at the best of times. But there was something that ate away at part of his mind. What if Shane chose Oliver instead? What if he thought Oliver was more stable and could protect him easier?

No, he couldn't tell Shane. Not yet.

"Guys?" It was female voice that Michael hadn't heard for ages. Or, it seemed like ages. "You're not gonna eat me if I come in, are you?"

Against his chest, Shane moved, stretched out and went to the top of the stairs. Michael watched him go. Was he still dreaming?

"Hey, Eve," Shane called, a smile lighting up his face. "Can't believe I'm saying this but it's actually nice to see you."

"Can't say the same thing, Collins." Eve smirked before slouching out on the sofa. She'd heard all about the incident that had happened, it was the main reason she had managed to escape Amelie's guards. She couldn't believe it. At first she was sure they'd got the wrong person. It couldn't have been Claire, right? But it had been. The bitch had tried to break the bond and had caused Michael to bite Shane. Yeah, she was still a bit bitter about losing Michael, but she was happy for him. She could never bring herself to try and break them up.

"I thought Amelie said you couldn't live here?" Michael asked. Funnily enough, he didn't feel threatened by Eve's presence. She was calm and seemed to show no interest towards Shane other than on a friends level. The vampire in him was content to let her stay with them…so long as she didn't try anything.

"She did, but since when have I ever listened to rules?" Eve laughed lightly, her dark eyes sparkling. "I got around the guards – before you ask, no, I didn't stake anyone – while the fuss with Claire was going on."

For a moment they all lapsed into silence as they thought about Claire. The one girl that had won over all their hearts. They thought they could trust her…

"So, Amelie's going to be pissed off?" Shane said, covering up the more than awkward silence. "I like your style."

"I don't really care." She shrugged her shoulders before glancing out of the window. "She can have a spoon so she can eat my arse. Say, you haven't kicked all my stuff out, have you?"

Michael shook his head slowly. He hadn't even thought to go through the girls rooms. Thinking of it, he should burn all of Claire's things. Blow them up in fact… Or place an atomic bomb in her room… Yeah, that'd be good. "No, I haven't. Do you think Amelie will let you move back in?"

"I don't give two high hoots about what she thinks. Will you let me stay, or will you bite my face off?"

"I won't bite your face off… Yeah, you can have your room back."

**OMG sorry it's so short! I've ran straight into a writer's block so I don't know what to write. Any ideas? And Eve's back! Finally! Please review! Thanks for reading! 45 reviews this time? :D**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Upstairs, Michael heard the bathroom door slam shut. Good. Shane was in the shower. With any luck it would be enough time to tell Eve everything to do with Oliver… Michael knew he should tell Shane, but he couldn't… What if he chose Oliver instead?

"Eve?" Michael called, walking into the lounge with a sport bottle in his hand. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, what's up?" said Eve, switching off the TV. She saw Michael fidget and his fangs worried his bottom lip – a sign that he was nervous. Placing the remote on the coffee table, she tucked her feet under legs and turned to face him.

"You won't tell anyone, right?" Michael murmured, taking a sip out of the sport bottle. Whoever said vampires could only drink from their mate's must have been on crack. They could never survive like that… "It's about Shane…and Oliver."

Eve nodded slowly. She'd heard about everything that had gone off at Common Grounds. Even down to the words that Oliver had spoken to Shane. "You know you can trust me, I take it that you don't want Shane to know?"

"No, I'd rather him not find out." He picked at his hands for a second. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Oliver sees Shane as a potential mate. He'll do anything to get to him…and you know what that usually means…" It was all the more shocking saying the words out loud. They no longer seemed like a bad dream or an horrific nightmare. Gritting his teeth, Michael held back the possessive snarl that was rumbling at the back of his throat. He had to stop letting Oliver get to him like that.

"He wants to kill you…" Eve murmured with a surprising knowledge. She'd known all along, as soon as Michael had asked to talk to her she'd had a gut feeling that it wasn't good. Perhaps she'd steeled herself for the blow? "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to see him. I'll arrange a time and a place, neutral ground for the fight to take place." He paused for a second, took a deep breath and continued. "The winner takes Shane."

**Blood Bond**

Michael had waited until the evening until he'd left the Glass house. The wind ruffled his hair and sharpened his senses. For days he'd been cooped up in the house, slowly withering away in a pit of despair… It hadn't done him any good. Instead his senses had become accustomed to the house. Shaking his head, Michael walked slowly over to common grounds.

He'd picked the sight where they were going to meet perfectly. It was a clearing in the forest. Plenty of open space but with a lot of opportunities for hiding. And the surrounding trees would offer weapons should one of them need them. As far as Michael knew, neither he nor Oliver owned the territory so neither of them new the area well.

Darkness began to descend and Michael sighed as humans began to jog towards their houses, some of them sending fearful glances his way. The few street lights flicked on and off, casting small circles of hope filled light down onto the pavement below. The air was muggy and humid, a consequence of the rainfall from last week that still lingered in the air.

He turned the last corner to see Oliver shutting up the coffee shop, his hand still resting on the open/closed sign that hung in the door. If Michael looked hard enough, he could still see the frayed piece of string that had held up the tiny golden bell that had smashed on Shane's hurried exit.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, or lack of pleasure?" Oliver called out, his back still turned to Michael. "You really should be quieter in your approach, young one."

For a moment, Michael stood still. He could feel the power that surrounded Oliver. Anyone who could feel that would be stupid to try and challenge him. _That must make me stupid,_ thought Michael with a mental shrug of his shoulders. "It's about Shane Collins."

He saw Oliver turn slowly and a small smirk played on the corners of his mouth. "Has he finally grown bored of you and your petty little games?" Oliver's voice lacked emotion but his eyes were cold. Like glass and ice, in fact, it looked like a mixture of the two. "Does he want a real man?"

"You know I'll fight for him, to the death if I have to." Michael ignored Oliver's comments. "Meet me tomorrow, in the woods on the edge of town. The largest clearing in the centre."

In front of him Oliver clicked his tongue impatiently. "I am more than a thousand years older than," he said slowly, drawing out each word. "No matter where you chose, you will lose."

"Losing is not an option, not where Shane's concerned."

Oliver took a few steps towards Michael, but stayed a few feet away. A wise move. "When I first killed you, you were ignorant to the world…it appears you still are. You're nothing but a few months old – if that – let the boy go, you'll find another one to take his place soon enough. Why die, for one human life?"

"Because he's my mate," Michael growled lowly.

"Are you quite sure?" Oliver questioned with a smirk on his face. The apron from Common Grounds hung over his arm and the ties fluttered in the wind. "You've been a vampire for a few months, you know nothing about mates or the like."

"I don't need to know, I can feel it." Oliver was trying to place doubts into his mind. Michael knew that as soon as the elder vampire had started to speak. "Meet me there, tomorrow evening…or back the fuck off."

**Blood Bond**

Their lips crashed together furiously, two waves both heading towards each other, passion spilling over the edges. It had been days since they'd seen each other like this, so ferocious, so animal like, free and beautiful. The battled for dominance before Shane gave in and allowed Michael to plunder his mouth at his own free will.

Half an hour Michael had returned from the 'blood bank' (that was the white lie that Eve had told Shane) and he'd ushered Shane into his room and locked the door behind, despite Eve offering to film it for them.

The kiss was filled with desperation and need, each one seeking the others body for completely different reasons. Shane: to console Michael, to show him that he wasn't going to leave. Michael: to remember Shane should he lose him to Oliver.

Their hands roamed each other's bodies, Shane's fingernails gripping Michael's biceps tightly. They had torn off each other's clothing moments ago and where now surrounded by scraps of shredded fabric.

Michael gazed down on Shane, memorising every inch of skin that was available to him. He couldn't let Oliver take him, he wouldn't let Oliver ruin Shane's perfect boy by branding him with his own mark. No, he wouldn't let that happen.

It wasn't the same as when they first bonded. That had been gentle and loving; this was desperate, needy, loving and rough. Shane bucked hard against Michael, pleas leaving his mouth in breathy pants that only Michal hear. They were for Michael only, no one else. The way his tongue wrapped around Michael's name, rolling it from his mouth like it was the name of a God…

Dirty commands left Shane's mouth and Michael complied with them all. Slowly he prepared Shane, watching as his mate threw his head back in a shameless cry for more. He continued to move against Michael's hand, seeking the release that Michael wasn't about to give him.

With one last breathy moan, Michael gave in, and sunk slowly into Shane, his mate's tight heat surrounding him in one quick thrust. They both whimpered in unison. Again and again they moved with each other, the sound of slapping skin echoing around the room. It shouldn't have been like this, but it was… It should have been tender and loving, not rough, quick fuck. But it wasn't. It was what they both needed.

In one quick thrust, they climaxed together, both mumbling the others name in confetti of stars.

Sinking his teeth into Shane's bonding mark, Michael gorged himself on Shane's blood. Blood spilled from his mouth, down Shane's neck only to stain the covers of the bed. Michael swallowed heavily to keep up with the thick flow of blood that left Shane's body. As time passed he felt Shane relax until his body was limp and unmoving, no sound leaving his parted lips.

With reluctance, Michael dislodged his fangs and wiped away the blood that surrounded his mouth. He was unconscious: good. With any luck he'd be out for a couple of days, long enough for Michael to kill Oliver or be killed. Either way, Shane shouldn't be there to witness it. Pressing his lips to Shane's forehead he murmured, "I love you. Don't forget that, no matter what happens."

Turning his back on the one person he'd ever truly loved, Michael accepted his fate.

This was it.

No matter what happened, it was all going to end.

**Hey up, thanks for reading! Who do you want to win? Do you think Michael was right to drain Shane until he was unconscious? Do you think he's drained him too much? Ohhh, thanks for reviewing, don't forget to review again! 50 reviews this time? Thanks :D**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Michael stood still in the small, circular clearing. Around him trees rustled quietly in the breeze, their branches gently whispering about what was to happen. Everything was quiet…too quiet. As if they could sense something, most (if not all) animals had cleared the vicinity. There was nothing here…not even a heartbeat.

Pictures of Shane flooded his mind. He'd left him unconscious. Hopefully he'd stay that way until everything was over. To soothe the loneliness, Michael had shrugged on one of the old shirts he'd worn around Shane. That way his mate's scent clung to the fabric…if he closed his eyes, and with a lot of imagination, he could imagine that Shane was stood next to him and that nothing to harm them.

Unless he finished this, he'd never have that again.

Glancing up at the moon, Michael steadied himself. He could do this. He had support that Oliver didn't have. Even if Michael couldn't win the fight, surely Amelie would see the injustice? Swallowing and taking a deep breath, Michael dropped his gaze from the moon…

And locked eyes with Oliver.

The elder vampire was dressed in black leather and looked sleek and deadly, his grey eyes cutting through the darkness with the ease of an apt predator. His stance was easy and relaxed, as if the two had agreed to meet up for coffee. "You're actually going through with this?" Oliver raised an eyebrow and he smirked.

Michael barely suppressed a growl. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again. Shane's mine. He'll always be mine." He took a slow step forward and to the side, circling the other vampire.

Oliver copied his move in the opposite direction. "I'm fully aware of what you've said… I was merely wondering if you're willing to die for him…"

"I think the fact that I'm here, proves that. Don't you?" Michael murmured coldly. He was tiring of this. Shane was asleep – unconscious! – and Michael was here arguing about his own, personal, reasons.

"You're a survivor, Michael Glass," Oliver said slowly, taking a few steps towards Michael. "You should have died when I drained you. But you didn't. Somehow you survived…if you'd have died then, Shane would have been mine. You fucked things up by staying alive…"

Michael's steps faltered slightly at the thought of his first death. The pain he'd gone through when Oliver had drained him dry. God, he'd never felt anything like it. Then the lonely year he'd spent trapped in the house, slowly suffocated by the same four walls that were keeping him alive. "I hate you for that, you know I always will. But the past is the past. And I'm sorry to interrupt your tea break but I'm here to do something…"

Michael lunged.

His fingers scraped the leather on Oliver's shoulder as the vampire feinted the left with one slick slide of his feet. Michael's leap took him further than what he'd expected and he cartwheeled through the air before landing neatly on two feet.

"You're not ready for this," Oliver said softly. "You don't know your body's limits yet…" He trailed off as he ducked another of Michael's lunges. "I can teach you everything I know. You'll be unstoppable."

Michael paused for a moment. "I've come here to fight, not talk," he stated as he turned back to Oliver.

"Very well. This shouldn't take long…" Oliver trailed off, a slowly, lazy smirk on his lips.

Michael blinked quickly. In that split second Oliver had turned into a white blur. Where the frig was he? A ghostly chuckle made Goosebumps rise on the back of Michael's neck. Snapping his head around, he tried to desperately lock onto the moving figure… His breathing began to quicken…he couldn't even see Oliver! Where the fuck was he? If he grabbed Michael from behind then that would be the end of this…

He'd never see Shane again…

Listening to his gut instinct, Michael jumped. He watched as Oliver stilled beneath him, his eyes wide at Michael's unexpected move. It had been a close one. As he'd jumped he'd felt Oliver's hands scrape his neck before fighting for a hold… Michael landed softly a few feet behind Oliver.

This was how he'd have to play it…

By instinct alone…

He saw Oliver's face twist into a sinister snarl, his fangs flipping down like a twin blades. His eyes turned blood red and his lips peeled back to expose two rows of razor sharp teeth that were ready to slice through the delicate skin on Michael's neck.

Michael let his own instincts free. The monster that he'd kept caged back for Shane's sake broke through the imaginary bars that were keeping it put. They bent easily under its weight. A red haze covered his vision when he thought of Oliver… That bastard wanted his mate… No. No one would see Shane like that but Michael. Shane was his mate, and his alone. Twin knives, white, deadly and precise glinted in the moonlight. Saliva coated them: a mixture of liquid and something more, something that could corrode Oliver's flesh when he bit. It was something only young vampire's had when they were in danger. It gave them an upper hand when facing older, stronger vampires.

An advantage Michael needed.

Easily slipping into a defensive crouched, Michael bared his fangs in Oliver's direction. Fingers curled in slightly, to be used as claws if necessary. A loud, territorial, snarl came from deep in Michael's throat.

They took one step towards each other…

Then another…

And another…

Until they could take no more. Both vampires blurred into a run, the forest becoming a green canvas around them. The red haze that surrounded Michael's vision continued to thicken as he attempted to make contact with Oliver. The older vampire was quick. Too quick…

Pain shot through his shoulder as Oliver connected with him. Staggering back at a human pace, Michael clutched his shoulder. Dark blood was beginning to stain through his shirt. Shaking his head to dislodge the stinging pain, Michael focussed on Oliver again.

Instinct.

It was all down to his instincts.

Closing his eyes (a foolish manoeuvre he heard Oliver comment) he listened to the sounds around him. Michael fine-tuned his hearing, blasting out the sounds of rustling trees and the thoughts that ran through his panicked mind. Instead he focussed on Oliver's steady breathing…the light footsteps as he circled Michael. The grass crunched under his feet as he walked… The little noises the leather would make as he walked… The shallow yet deep breathing that swirled the air around them…

He kicked out. Miraculously his foot connected with Oliver's chest causing the other vampire to spin through the air with a sharp _crack. _Opening his eyes, he saw Oliver hit a nearby tree, the wood groaning underneath the force. Fuelled by the hit, Michael stalked forward, his eyes locked on Oliver's. If he looked close enough he thought he could see fear in the older vampire's eyes…

Baring his fangs, he picked the older vampire up by the throat. His fingernails cut through the flesh easily and dark blood began to stain his fingers and run down his wrist. In front of him Oliver gargled for breath and choked on his own blood. Running his tongue over his fangs, Michael bit into Oliver's shoulder.

Screams of pain and agony surrounded Michael. He watched as his saliva slowly ate away at Oliver's leather armour and the smell of rotting flesh wafted through the clearing. Oliver thrashed like a fish on a hook in Michael's grip…he didn't know how the new born had done it. But he'd been defeated, by a child no less.

Michael dropped the dying vampire by his feet, pieces of wood surrounding his broken body. Spitting at the older vampire, Michael turned his back on the vampire. He wasn't worth his time…and he needed to see Shane.

Oliver had been beater by a _foolish_ new born. He wasn't dead yet, there was still life in him. Weakly his hand searched the ground around him before clutching at one of the sharp pieces of wood. With an accurate aim of a skilled archer, Oliver aimed the wooden stake at the retreating vampire's back. If he couldn't have Shane, neither could Michael.

With the last of his strength, Oliver threw the stake. It buried itself in the young vampire's back, directly where his heart should be… Smiling to himself, Oliver shut his eyes.

Peace at last. After centuries of battles and power struggles.

He welcomed the darkness.

**Blood Bond**

Michael floated. It was like he was on water, slowly drifting with the sunlight on his face; warming him. The water lapped at his sides peacefully. There was no pain here. Just peace. Turning his head to the side, he looked across the endless blue that surrounded him. It was everywhere. A dark blue he was floating on with a paler blue above him. All blues.

There was no pain here. The pain he'd experience in his heart had been over in a second. The slight stinging in his shoulder had disappeared. The blue had calmed him and eased his pain. There was everything he needed here. Calm. Peace. No pain. His eye lids were getting heavy now… But he couldn't lose the blue.

His mouth didn't ache and his gums didn't prickle. Where were his fangs? Michael didn't care. He'd never liked them anyway…

Floating… It was a never ending feeling. It should have been wrong to enjoy this so much, it shouldn't be allowed. This was heaven… It had to be, Michael had never been here before and even his subconscious wouldn't be able to dream up such a beautiful atmosphere.

He felt a small tug in his heart but he ignored it. That was nothing compared to the quiet calm that he was experiencing now…

His eyelids were really heavy now…

Sleep…that's what he wanted.

To sleep.

And never wake up…

But he couldn't. For some reason (a reason he couldn't quite remember) Michael knew he had to hold on. He couldn't allow his eyelids to drop. If he did there would be no going back… But why? Why did he have to stay awake? He didn't want to. The lull and lapping of the water was too much. The silent way the waves caressed his skin…

It was so nice here…

If only he could shut his eyes…for one second. That's all he wanted…for one second… Just one second of rest… That wasn't much to ask for, was it?

Just one second…

**Hey, thanks for reading and reviewing! What do you thinks going to happen? And what did you expect, sorry about the fight…I'm not too good at writing them haha. Please review! 52 reviews this time? Thanks :D**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Shane woke with a gasp. He bolted up, his back ram rod straight and his eyes wide and panicked. What was that? Jesus… The pain in his heart had shocked him from unconsciousness and was now thundering like a steam train. His mind swam and he couldn't focus on anything. _Lack of blood,_ he thought miserably. With one hand, he gently touched the area of the bite; part of him shocked that there was no pain.

His hand came away covered in drying blood.

He was thankful of being Michael's mate in that moment. The blonde had told him that his blood would replenish quicker than the average human because of Michael's feeding habits. Good. Shane didn't fancy being unconscious for most of his life…

Across from him, Eve sat asleep in a chair. Her head was tilted horribly to one side. She'd have an ache in it when she woke. Eve's soft breathing filled the room while Shane tried to think over what had happened.

The pain had woken him up, so it had to be intense. A normal shock shouldn't have woken him. Once over the shock, Shane had checked his chest to no avail. There were no marks or anything to suggest the source of pain. Nothing. Then his mind had started working overtime. Why had Michael drank until Shane became unconscious? Had he purposely tried to knock him out? If so, where was Michael now?

Suddenly, the door to his bedroom burst open – snapping Eve awake with the noise. It was Sam. His face was strained and lined with worry. Shane didn't know it was possible for vampires to age – but he looked like he'd aged ten years. He was mumbling things to the unconscious body in his arms. Shane thought he recognised those jeans…and the black converse… He definitely recognised those.

The unconscious boy's head lolled to the side. His blonde hair was plastered to his head with sweat and his eyes were shut. Those pink lips were parted slightly and he breathed in and out softly.

Michael.

But what the fuck was he doing unconscious? Shane stood quickly, too quickly, and sank back down onto the bed while the room stopped spinning. In that time, Sam had placed Michael beside him. It was unnerving to see the strong vampire looking so weak and lifeless. What had happened?

Eve beat him to the question. "What happened, Sam? Where did you find him?" She stroked the hair back off Michael's face. At the action, Shane had to hold back his jealousy. But there were more things to contend with than his jealousy.

"He was protecting his mate from a rival vampire." Sam sighed and looked down at his Godson. "From then on things went wrong. It's safe to say that the other vampire is dead now. You won't be seeing much of him again." He laughed humourlessly.

"Wait!" Shane shouted, his voice shaking slightly. Who was this vampire? He didn't even know there was a vampire hunting him. What had happened to the 'tell me everything, I need to trust you' talk that they'd had just the other day? "Who was it? And why did Michael have to get involved?"

"Do you really want me to answer your questions now?" Sam growled. It was the first time Shane had really seen him look angry. He usually looked so calm and caring.

Glancing down at Michael, he saw dark blood staining his shirt. He'd been staked. That much was obvious. Through his parted lips Shane could see that his fangs had retracted. Good, he wouldn't be in vampire mode when he woke up. "What do I need to do?" Shane asked, knowing he would have something to do with Michael's survival.

"Stay with him. Maintain body contact with him as much as possible. Let him know that you're there. Somehow, on some level, he'll be able to feel you through your bond with him. When you've recovered from his last drinking, feed him a little bit of your blood. Only a little bit, you don't want to shock his system…"

"What are the chances that he'll live?" Eve asked the question that was on everybody's mind. She brushed her hair behind her ears and moved away to allow Shane to continue to comb his hand through Michael's hair.

"It's fifty/fifty," Sam muttered with a shake of his head. "How were you before the incident?" he asked Shane.

"He didn't believe me," Shane murmured. "Michael thought I was an illusion, and that I was going to leave him. He kept insisting that I didn't love him and that I would be better off without him…"

Sam shook his head sadly. "Only time will tell."

Everybody knew what those words were hiding.

It was unlikely that Michael would survive.

"Leave them alone," Sam said gently as he lead Eve to the bedroom door. "Let them have their time together." The door shut quietly behind them.

Glancing down at the sleeping vampire, Shane trailed his fingers over his mattered blonde hair. Grabbing the water bottle off the side, Shane quickly took his shirt off. Squirting some of the water onto the shirt, he gently washed away the dirt and grime that covered Michael's face. The vampire's head fell to the side, following Shane's hand.

Shane didn't know what to think. He'd seen the blood that was staining Michael's shirt; he'd been staked. But shouldn't he be healing? Why was he in the vampire equivalent of a coma? Popping the buttons on Michael's torn shirt, he slowly moved his limbs out of the bloody shirt before rearranging him in a more comfortable position.

Under Shane's fleeting touches, the vampire's breathing hitched. Shifting his position, Shane pressed Michael's back to his chest, entwined their legs and threw an arm over his waist. They both needed sleep.

Hopefully it would help them both.

**Blood Bond**

It was so calming…so peaceful. Nothing could disturb him, not even the delicious heat that surrounded his body and wrapped around him like a cocoon. Michael's eyelids felt heavy and he fought the urge to close them… No matter how much he wanted to, there was something pulling him down, weighing him down to the ground. Why couldn't he be left to float? That's all he wanted. Peace.

In the distance he could hear calming words. Despite the peace that surrounded him, they soothed his aching heart. Michael couldn't quite tell what they said, only that they were hushed words, spoken with such conviction and longing.

But they weren't enough. He still wanted to sleep…

_Th-h-ud-d_

A sharp tingling pain shot through his heart. He imagined himself frowning as he doubted he had the energy to do so in reality. The tingling grew worse with every second that passed. It wasn't painful…merely annoying.

_Th-u-u-d_

There it was again! Around him the calming blue was fading… No! It couldn't go. With what little strength he had left, Michael fought against the growing bonds that surrounded his body.

_Thu-d-d_

His throat burned. But it wasn't the burning hunger that he'd once felt. No. This was more of a parched, drying ache deep in his throat; more human that before. God, he needed a drink… Michael felt his left hand twitch slightly. As time passed, and more bonds secured around him and pulled him down, Michael felt energy flood into him. Not enough to fully wake, but more than before….

_Th-ud_

There was something being poured into his mouth… It was thick and had a slight irony/metallic taste to it. The taste exploded on his taste buds and he fought the urge to gag. What was that stuff? Painstakingly slowly, the liquid filled his mouth. Somewhere, in another place, he felt something spill over the corners of his mouth before trickling down his chin.

_Thu-d_

Again he heard the whispers, and this time he could make out some of the words. 'Please…swallow…". "Michael, come on…" And crying. He could hear crying. When the urge to swallow became too much, Michael swallowed. The liquid felt thick as it ran down his throat. He could feel each and every slither as he fought the urge to gag… This was it, the last bond was in place.

Around him the blue faded…a paler blue, grey…until quite light surrounded him. For a second everything went quite… Then noise assaulted his ears… The taste of the liquid harassed his tongue… The dull light attacked his eyelids…

He woke with a gasp.

**Hey! So, what do you think so far? Any ideas over what's happening to Michael? Sorry the update's late, the holidays have finished (whoopdidoo :'( ) so I'll be taking my time. Hopefully NRFTW and CTS should be updated sometime in the future….hopefully by the weekend. **

** Anyhow, thanks for reviewing and reading! Hope you enjoyed! Please review! :D 59 reviews, maybe? **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Michael woke with a gasp. His back was ram rod straight and his wide, panicked blue eyes stared into Shane's deep brown. Instinctively he pushed himself back, shuffling away from Shane until his back hit the wall. His heart thundered loudly in his chest and his head felt foggy and heavy.

He felt the trickle of blood down one side of his mouth.

With a shaking hand, he wiped at the blood. Bringing his hand in front of his face, he stared at the blood in shock. Why was there blood on his face? Was that what he'd just swallowed? He felt bile rise up his throat. Pushing past Shane, he spilled the contents of his stomach – flecked with red - onto the carpet. Shaking his head against the thoughts that assaulted his mind, he blinked owlishly at Shane.

"W-why are you f-feeding me blood?" His voice shook and he held his hands out in front of himself when Shane neared. "S-stay there!"

"Michael?" Shane asked hesitantly. He ached to go up to the vampire and wrap his arms around him. But something told him not to. Michael wasn't in his right mind now…he needed space. "You were unconscious. You needed my blood to survive."

"Then shouldn't I have been in a hospital?" He was regaining his composure now and he squared his shoulders. "You know, a blood transfusion or something?"

Shane shook his head in disbelief. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he remember anything? "Michael, I'm your mate. You needed my blood."

What he said made everything crumble in Shane's world.

"Of course you're my mate; we've been friends for about seven years."

He couldn't remember anything. Everything that they'd gone through, the scars that Shane bore on his neck meant nothing. Now he was just another of the endless vampire victims. Swallowing thickly, he blinked to clear the tears. As much as he hated to admit it, over time he'd fallen for the older vampire. And now all of that was gone. Perhaps this was what Michael had felt when the bond had first been fresh?

"No! No, I was your vampire mate!"

Fear began to grow in the blonde's eyes as Shane's words sunk in. For seconds they stood facing each other as Shane thought over everything. Just before Michael had woken up he'd felt a rumbling in the other boys chest. Overtime it had become more consistent…more like a heartbeat.

Was Michael human?

"But I'm not a vampire!" His voice was high and his whole tone shook. "I've n-never been a v-vampire!" Michael chest rose and fell rapidly and his body shook with tremors.

"Don't you remember anything from the last two months?" He couldn't believe it. This was Michael, the one guy he'd share everything with. And he couldn't even remember anything.

"It's all dark. It's all blank. I can't remember anything!" Michael choked out. He paused to press his fingers against his canine teeth, smiling a watery smile when he didn't prick his fingers. He checked over his skin, a pleasant smile on his face when he noticed his light tan.

Shane sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was no good. Michael didn't remember anything. Gritting his teeth and using a fake smile, he left Michael alone to recover by himself.

This was it.

It was all over.

**Blood Bond**

"How is he?" Sam's innocent but concerned words assaulted Shane's ears. Risking a glance at the older vampire, he slid into the chair beside him. He checked to see if Eve was in the room. She wasn't. She must be in the shower or in her own room…

"He's fine. He's up and moving…" he trailed off. His heart felt heavy and he had to stop himself from running his fingers over the scars on his neck. "He's not a vampire though."

At this, a confused look crossed Sam's face. He thought for a couple of moments. "The stake must have only killed half of his heart…the vampire side. Which means he's now human, the stake having repelled the vampire traits from his body…" In the dim light of the room, he looked exactly like a vampire Michael. His red hair glowed blonde in the light and his skin reflected the light in an eerie glow. "What else?" he asked when he saw Shane touching his Bonding mark.

"He doesn't remember anything else about the bonding. He only remembers us as it was before he became a vampire…" The words got stuck in his throat and he had to force them out. Words had never been so hard to get out. Living with Eve had made him quick-witted and sharp with words… But that skill seemed to evade him.

"What were your first thoughts when Michael first told you about the bond?"

The question threw Shane for a moment before he thought about it. "I hated it: I wanted the bond gone, I wanted Michael to be human…and I wanted my best mate back. As a mate and nothing else-" The more he said, the more he slowed down. Was this it? Had Michael's body reacted to his near death experience. They'd gone through a rough patch before the incident…

Did Michael unconsciously think that Shane still didn't want the bond? Is that what his body and mind had done to protect him? Had he unconsciously erased his own memoires to cope with Shane's 'rejection'?

"…he's done it to protect himself…" he heard Sam saying but he wasn't paying any attention. The words skimmed over his head and he felt like he was drowning. There was no way to get Michael back now…this was it. Everything was back to how it was before.

Michael would still love Eve. But Eve had moved on and accepted that Michael had been in a relationship with him. Michael would think that Shane was still with Claire. Claire. She'd been the catalyst. If she hadn't have turned up at Common Grounds then Michael wouldn't have begun to doubt Shane in the first place…

But it was useless to blame it on her.

He didn't even know if she was still alive…

It was all because of his own securities that he'd lost the only light in his world. The bond was over. At first he hadn't known there was a way to break it. But somehow he'd managed it. He'd broken the impossible bond between a human and a vampire; shattered it into a thousand pieces. And now each of those pieces stabbed into his heart, twisting and turning.

This was it.

It was all over.

**Hey up! Hope you're not too shocked at the ending! I wanted a total unsuspected ending. So, what do you think? Please tell me in your reviews. I'd love to know what you thought of the ending and the overall story. Thanks for sticking by me! :D**

**Ps, I've hit a writer's block with Chasing the Sun so I don't know when I'll update. Sorry. **


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